Srom  f ^e  fei6tari?  of 

(profe66or  ^amuef  (Qtiffer 

in  (glemoti?  of 

3xibge  ^amuef  Oliffer  QStecfttnribge 

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^dmuef  (ttliffer  Q0recftinribge  feong 

to  f 0e  feifitari?  of 

(Princeton  C^eofogicaf  ^eminarg 

BR  146  .M27  1827 
Marsh,  John,  1788-1868. 
An  epitome  of  general 
ecclesiastical  history     ' 


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OP 

GENERAL  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY, 

FROM  THE  EARLIEST  PERIOD  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

With  ^n  ^vptnXflVf 

GIVING  A  CONDENSED  HISTORY 

OP  THE 

JETTS 

FROM  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAF, 

Kllttstratctr  f^jgt  Mnpn  antr  2Snfltrat>Cnfl«. 


BY  JOHN  MARSH,  A.  M. 

rASTOR  OF  A  CHCRCH  IN  HADDAM,   CT. 


"  How  QBEAT  ARE  HIS  SIGNS  !  AND  HOW   MIGHTY  ARE  HIS  WONDERS  !  H18  KINGDOM 
M  AN  EVERLAOTING  UNGDOM,  AND  HIS  DOMINION  IS  FROM   GENERATION  TO  GEWEHATION,"* 


NEW.yORK, 

PRINTED  BY  VANPGRPOOL  6t  COLE. 


^^S^'^  ,-.^:i^%,^? 


DISTRICT  OF  CONNECTICUT,  ss. 

Be  it  remkmbered,  That  on  the  first  day  of  October,  in  th>5 
L.  S.    fifty-second  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  ot 

America,  John  Marsh,  of  the  said  district,  hath  deposited  ia 
this  office  the  title  of  a  book  the  right  whereof  he  claims  as  Author, 
in  the  words  following,  to  wit  :— "  An  Epitome  of  general  Ecclesiasti- 
cal History  from  the  earliest  periods  to  the  present  time.  With  aa 
Appendix,  giving  a  condensed  History  of  the  Jews  from  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  to  the  present  day.  Illustrated  by  Maps  and  En- 
gravings. By  John  Marsh,  A.  M.  Pastor  of  a  Church  in  Haddam, 
Conn.''  In  conformity  to  the  act  of  Congress  of  theU.  States,  en- 
titled, "  An  act  for  theencouragcment  of  learning,  by  securing  the  cop- 
ies of  Maps,  Charts  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and  pioprietors  of  such 
copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned." — And  also  to  the  act, 
entitled,  "  An  act  supplementary  to  an  act, entitled  '  An  act  for  the  en- 
couragement of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts,  and  . 
bookst  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  times 
therein  mentioned,'  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of 
dc^io-nino-.  en£rraving,  and  etching  historical  and  other  prints.'' 
°      "       ^  CHAS.  A.  INGERSOLL, 

Clerk  of  the  District  of  Connecticut. 

A  true  copy  of  Record,  Examined  and  sealed  by  me, 

CHAS.  A.  INGERSOLL, 
Clerk  of  the  District  of  Connecticut. 


PREFACE. 

A  COMPENDIOUS  history  of  the  Church  of  God,  properly 
executed,  cannot  fail  of  being  useful  in  the  Christian  com- 
munity. 

The  inspired  history  is  both  true  and  eminently  beautiful ; 
but  its  leading  facts,  detailed  in  the  ordinary  style,  and  il- 
lustrated and  explained,  will  be  perused  with  profit  and  plea- 
sure. The  period  intervening  between  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  dates,  lies  hid  from  the  mass  of  men  in  the  Apo- 
cryphal books,  in  Josephus,  and  Prideaux's  Connexions.  And 
modern  ecclesiastical  history^  thougn  ably  presented  by  Mo- 
shiem,  Milner,  Haweis,  Gregory,  Newton,  Neal  and  others, 
is  extended  through  many  volumes  and  accompanied  by  much 
dry  discussion  and  minute  detail,  repulsive  to  the  young. 
In  compiling  this  work  no  references  are  made  to  authorities, 
as  they  would  uselessly  fill  the  margin  ;  but  the  utmost  care 
has  been  taken  that  nothing  be  stated  for  fact  which  is  not  well 
authenticated.  Early  notice  of  errors  will  be  gratefully  receiv- 
ed. The  view  given  of  existing  denominations  will  not  proba- 
bly give  universal  satisfaction  ;  but  the  classification  of  sub- 
jects, the  attempt  to  give  the  history  of  religious  opinions  and 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  different  sects,  and  the  moral  and  reli- 
gious reflections  will,  it  is  thought,  be  pleasing  to  all  who  "con- 
tend earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,"  and 
profitable  to  the  youthful  inquirer  after  truth. 

The  work  is  divided  into  three  Periods.     The  first  extends 
from  the  Creation  to  the  Call  of  Abraham. 

The  second,  from  the  Call  of  Abraham  to  the  birth  of  Christ. 

The  third,  from  the  birth  of  Christ  to  the  present  time.  Oc- 
casional notice  is  taken  of  false  prophets  and  false  systems  of 
religion,  and  of  various  providential  dealings  with  the  nations  of 
the  earth. 

The  whole  is  commended  to  the  blessing  of  God. 

Haddam,  Oct.  1,  1827. 


Persecutions  under  Aniiochus, 


HI ' 

iiPPW^^^HIHpi 

The  Spanish  InquisHion, 


Martyrdom  of  Latimer  and  Ridley. 


Ancient  Attitude  at  Table. 


.>u.  -•<'.>■ 


Tents  mentioned  in  Scriotui^. 


Ruins  in  Ancient  Greece. 


Tha  Tabernacle  in  the  Wilderness. 


Altar  <£  Incense.  JlUar  of  Burnt  Offering 


Ark  of  Ik^  Covennnt.  Brazen  Laver. 


< 


Method  of  Thrcsliing  in  the  East. 


Eastern  Method  of  Watering  the  Land. 


CHERUBIM  OF    GLORY 


DESCKIBED 


Exod.  XXV.  18-22.  xxxvii.  7-9.     Lev.  xvi.  2.      Nura.  vii.  89.       I  SiBft. 
va.  23-28.  viii.  7.    2  Chron.  iii.  10-13.  v.  8.     Ezek.  i.  5-11.  x.  20-22. 


Ancient  Books  and  Scrolh. 


To  Moses,  was  mistaken  in  its  age.'' 


J 


AN  EPITOME,  &c. 

PZSRIOD  1. 

FROM    THE    CREATION    TO    THE    CALL    OF    ABRAHAM 

CHAPTER  I. 

CREATION. 

This  WORLD,  the  theatre  of  the  most  wonderful  divine  op- 
erations, has  been  in  existence  5,831  years.  The  learned 
Greeks  were  fond  of  speculating  upon  the  origin  of  all  things, 
Aristotle  supposed  the  world,  in  its  organized  form,  eternal ; 
and  that  the  Supreme  Being  put  it  in  motion.  Anaxagoras,  fol- 
lowed by  Socrates  and  Plato,  believed  in  a  supreme  mind  who 
organized  the  world  out  of  matter  which  always  existed ;  yet 
held  to  an  animating  principle  in  matter  which  propelled  and 
regulated  the  organized  system.  Epicurus,  the  father  of  Athe« 
ism,  traced  the  beautiful  order  of  the  earth  and  all  its  inhabitants 
and  productions  to  a  fortuitous  concurrence  of  atoms.  No  one 
in  Greece  or  Rome  ever  acknowledged  a  Creator  of  the  world. 

The  old  Heathen  nations,  ignorant  of  their  origin,  were  fond 
of  ascribing  to  themselves  vast  antiquity.  The  Babylonians  and 
Egyptians  boasted  of  their  astronomical  observations  and  count- 
ed their  dynasties  through  thirty  and  forty  thousand  years.  The 
modern  Chinese  and  Hindoos  make  similar  pretensions.  ^ 

*' Some  drill  and  bore 

The  solid  earth,  and,  from  the  strata  there, 
Extract  a  register  by  which  they  learn 
That  he  who  made  it,  and  revealed  its  date 
To  Moses,  was  mistaken  in  its  age.'' 


14  CREATION.  Period  I. 

But  the  oldest  astronomical  observations  transmitted  to  us,  are 
within  300  years  before  Christ.  And  the  most  distant  Grecian 
or  Chinese  record  is  within  600  years  from  the  same  era.  The 
geological  argument  for  a  vast  antiquity  of  the  earth,  vanishes 
before  the  cumulative  evidence  from  the  same  source  of  an  uni- 
versal deluge,  such  as  Moses  describes  and  about  the  time  spe- 
cified by  him. 

''  Ex  nihilo  nihil  fit,"  "  from  nothing,  nothing  comes,"  is  a 
maxim  which  leads  us  up  to  an  infinite  intelligence,  the  maker 
of  all  things.  And  in  the  Bible  we  have  a  plain,  simple,  and 
concise  account  of  creation ;  bearing  the  stamp  of  truth  and 
giving  the  mind  just  and  elevated  views  of  God.  Without  ex- 
cluding the  idea  that  worlds  on  worlds  and  systems  on  systems, 
angels,  principalities  and  powers  may  have  been  created  ages 
before  our  world,  it  presents  to  us  the  Almighty  producing  and 
bringing  to  perfection,  in  great  majesty  and  goodness,  the  heav- 
ens and  earth,  in  six  days. 

The  materials  which  he  spake  into  being,  were  a  mere  mass 
of  confusion,  without  form  and  void.  From  the  chaos  he  first 
separated  light ;  leaving  it  however  diffused  throughout  the  whole. 
He  then  constituted  the  firmament  or  atmosphere,  which  should 
give  air  for  breath  and  sustain  the  clouds.  He  next  broke  the 
earth's  surface  into  mountains  and  vallies,  leaving  the  water  to 
rush  with  violence  into  the  deep.  "  At  thy  rebuke  they  fled,  at 
the  voice  of  thy  thunder  they  hasted  away."  No  sooner  did  the 
dry  land  appear,  than  it  was  covered  with  grass  and  herbs, 
shrubs  and  trees ;  all  formed  with  the  wonderful  power  of  re- 
production to  the  end  of  the  world.  On  the  fourth  day,  God 
created  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  either  concentrated  the  light 
into  the  sun  or  gave  that  body  the  power  of  originating  its  mo- 
tion. He  made  visible  also  the  stars,  those  suns  of  other  sys- 
tems which  had  perhaps  shone  for  ages. 

Having  prepared  the  earth  a  beautiful  and  convenient  ha- 
bitation for  living  beings,  he  proceeded  to  fill  the  ocean  with  fish, 
the  air  with  every  thing  that  hath  wing,  and  tlie  solid  ground 
with  beasts  and  creeping  things.  Last  of  all  and  with  peculiar 
solemnity,  he  formed  Man.  **  And  God  said,  let  us  make  man 
in  our  own  image  after  our  ovvn  likeness  ;" — said  it  to  whom? 
not  to  the  angels  ;  for  what  liad  they  to  do  with  creation  ?  It 
was  a  solemn  consultation  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost. 

God  made  man  in  his  own  image — an  immortal  spirit — up- 
right and  holy,  and  gave  him  dominion  over  his  creatures.  He 
endowed  him  with  the  power  of  speech  and  knowledge  of  lan- 
guage, and  made  him,  not,  as  some  philosophers  have  supposed, 


Chap.  2.  creation.  15 

but  a  little  superior  to  the  ourang-outang,  but  in  the  very  high- 
est state  both  of  mental  and  moral  excellence.  He  made  male 
and  female ;  instituted  the  marriage  relation  ;  gave  them  his 
blessing  and  commanded  them  to  be  fruitful  and  multiply  and 
subdue  the  earth. 

At  the  close  of  his  work,  God  instituted  the  Sabbath.  Six 
days  he  had  laboured,  but  the  seventh  day  he  rested  from  all  his 
work  and  biassed  and  sanctified  it. 

If  it  be  asked  why  a  Being  of  Almighty  power  did  not  per- 
form this  vast  work  instantaneously,  it  may  be  replied,  That  in 
infinite  wisdoin,  he  chose  a  method  of  operation  which  gave  to 
the  angelic  host  and  has  given  to  man,  a  clear  and  beautiful 
view  of  his  great  work,  and  ushered  in  the  holy  sabbath  with  the 
deepest  solemnity. 

Infidels  have  sneered  at  the  idea  that  God  existed  eternally  a- 
lone  and  only  began  the  work  of  creation  six  thousand  years  ago. 
But  we  have  no  certainty  that  he  did  then  begin  it ;  and  had  he 
begun  it  six  millions  of  years  since,  they  would  have  sneered  in 
like  manner  and  with  the  same  propriety.  "  With  the  Lord  one 
day  is  as  a  thousand  years  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day." 
We  gain  nothing  on  God's  eternity  by  going  back  to  the  most 
distant  assignable  period. 

The  diversity  of  complexion  and  figure  in  the  human  family 
has  been  adduced  as  an  objection  to  the  Mosaic  account  of  their 
descent  from  one  pair.  But  this  objection  is  fully  obviated  by  a 
view  of  the  effects  of  climate  and  morals  ;  and  by  tracing  nations 
widely  differing  in  these  particulars,  from  long  separation,  to  a 
common  origin. 

The  work  of  creation  gloriously  unfolds  the  sovereignty  of 
God.  He  made  all  worlds  and  all  their  inhabitants  just  as  they 
are,  because  it  seemed  good  in  his  sight. 

It  is  an  evidence  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  "  for  all  things 
were  made  by  him.''  And  he  did  not  create  the  world  without 
a  purpose  worthy  of  himself.  He  designed  it  as  the  theatre  of 
the  most  stupendous  love  and  mercy  ;  the  place  where  he  should 
humble  himself  to  the  death  of  the  cross,  redeem  his  church  and 
prepare  it  for  glory. 

Compared  with  the  scripture  account  of  the  history  and  de- 
sign of  the  creation,  all  heathen  fictions  are  too  absurd  and  pue- 
rile to  be  received  a  moment  by  a  rational  mind.  In  the  bright 
views  which  we  are  permitted  to  take  of  all  that  God  has  done, 
of  the  manner  of  execution  and  his  benevolent  purposes,  we  can- 
not fail  to  exclaim,  *'  O  Lord  !  how  manifold  are  thy  works,  in 
wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all." 


^6  man's  primitive  state  and  fall.         Period  J. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Primitive  state  of  Man.  His  trial  and  apostacy.  Promise  of 
a  Saviour.  Institution  of  sacrifices .  First  fruits  of  the 
Spirit. 


The  primitive  state  of  man  was  one  of  holiness  and  unmarred 
felicity.  The  first  exercises  of  his  heart  toward  God  were  love 
and  reverential  fear.  Between  him  and  the  Father  of  his  spirit 
existed  a  free  and  blessed  intercourse.  His  soul  was  a  stranger 
to  selfish  and  corrupt  aifections,  and  was  filled  with  joy  in 
God  and  his  perlect  administration. 

As  a  moral  agent,  he  was  subjected  to  that  law  which 
requires  all  rational  beings  to  love  the  Lord  their  God  with  all 
their  heart,  soul,  strength  and  mind,  and  their  neighbour  as 
themselves.  To  make  special  trial  of  the  first  parents  of  the 
human  family,  God  placed  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden  of  Eden, 
in  the  midst  of  all  that  could  gratify  the  taste  or  delight  the  eye; 
and  there,  while  he  gave  tliem  the  full  indulgence  of  every  thing 
else,  forbade  their  eating  of  the  tree  of  know  ledge  of  good  and 
evil.  As  a  reward  for  obedience,  he  promised  them  eternal  life; 
everlasting  holiness  and  happiness  in  his  presence.  For  diso- 
bedience, he  assured  them  that  dying,  they  should  die ;  that  sin- 
ning, renouncing  the  dominion  of  their  maker  and  depart- 
ing from  all  holiness,  they  should  sink  forever  under  his 
wrath  and  curse.  The  trial,  God  had  a  right  to  make  ;  for  he 
was  their  creator  and  lawgiver  :  and  so  bountiful  had  he  been 
to  them,  so  small  was  the  thing  denied  them  and  so  great  were 
the  motives  to  entire  abstinence  that  disobedience  would  call  for 
the  severest  judgments.  The  trial  was  one  of  greatest  conse- 
quence to  them  and  their  posterity.  In  it  was  involved  their  e- 
ternal  well  being.  They  were  to  secure  a  state  of  perpetual  ho- 
liness or  to  reject  their  Maker  and  become  totally  depraved  in 
their  moral  affections.  And,  as  it  had  become  a  law  of  creation 
that  every  thing  should  bear  the  likeness  of  its  progenitor,  the 
moral  state  and  character  of  all  future  generations  depended  on 
the  issue. 

At  this  moment  of  solemn  trial,  Satan,  the  chief  of  those  an- 
gels who  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but  revolted  from  God  and 
were  cast  out  of  heaven,  appeared  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  in  the 
form  of  a  serpent ;  and  full  of  envy,  resentment,  pride  and  mal- 
ice, sought  their  ruin.  He  addressed  himself  craftily  to  the  mo- 
ther of  men  and  endeavoured  to  excite  in  her  mind  an  unbelief 
in  the  threatening  as  the  word  of  God.     Failing  in  this,  he  mado 


Chap.  2.  Promise  of  a  saviour-  17 

her  a  promise  of  an  understanding  like  that  of  the  Gods ;  excited 
her  curiosity ;  tempted  her  appetite,  until,  impatient  of  divine 
restramt  and  renouncing  her  confidence  in  God  for  confidence 
in  the  Serpent; 

"  She  pluck'd  ;  she  ate  ; 
Earth  felt  the  wound  aud  nature  from  her  seat, 
Gave  signs  of  woe  that  all  was  lost.'' 

Adam  soon  ventured  on  the  same  ground  of  infidelity,  and  with 
his  wife,  apostatized  from  God.  Their  moral  character  was 
now  wholly  changed.  They  no  longer  appeared  before  God, 
in  prayer  and  praise  as  dear  children,  but  hid  themselves  from 
his  presence  in  conscious  guilt.  And  when  called  to  account 
for  their  conduct,  instead  of  confessing  their  sin  and  imploring 
pardon,  they  had  the  effrontery  to  charge  their  sin  upon  others ; 
yea,  indirectly,  upon  God  himself 

This  was  the  moment  when  .  ngels  looked  for  their  immedi- 
ate destruction.  But  said  God,  "  Stay  them,  from  going 
down  to  the  pit,  for  1  have  found  a  ransom."  A  saviour  was 
promised.  A  tremendous  sentence  was  pronounced  upon  the 
serpent,  the  animal  in  which  the  father  of  lies  approached  the 
innocent  pair,  that  mankind  might  ever  have  before  their  eyes 
something  that  would  powerfully  remind  them  of  this  event  ; 
but  reaching  beyond  that,  even  to  Satan,  the  old  serpent,  the 
deceiver,  ensuring  his  destruction  and  the  destruction  of  his 
cause  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  seed  of  the  woman,  the  saviour  of 
sinners.  "  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  wo- 
man, and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed  ;  it  shall  bruise  thy 
head  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel." 

This  promise  was  the  light  and  hope  of  a  ruined  world.  To 
lead  mankind  to  rest  upon  it,  sacrifices  were  immediately  in- 
stituted. Over  the  blood  of  beasts,  they  were  to  be  brought 
to  feel  their  sinfulness ;  that  there  was  no  access  to  the  Father 
without  an  atonement  ;  and  to  look  forward,  in  faith  and  hope, 
to  the  Lamb  of  God  that  s'  ould  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
The  first  transgressors  were  the  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 
Convinced  of  sin,  terrors  took  hold  on  them,  and  they  fled  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord.  The  voice  of  mercy  melted  their 
hearts.  God  gave  them  life  Adam  who  had  before  called  his 
wife  Woman,  now  called  her  Eve,  because  she  was  the  mother 
of  all  living  ;  of  all,  who,  according  to  the  gracious  promise, 
were  to  be  raised  to  immortal  life  ;  and  Eve,  at  the  birth  of  her 
first  born,  (evidently  rejoicing  in  the  promise  respecting  her 
seed  which  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head)    exclaimed  "  I 

2* 


18  riRsT    FRUITS  OP   THE    SPIRIT,  pEllIOD  I 

have  gotten  a  man,  the  Lord"  the  promised  deliverer.  With  the 
coats  of  animals  which  they,  no  doubt,  offered  in  sacrifice  to 
God,  they  made  themselves  garments  and  were  clothed. 

Thus  early  did  Christ  gain  a  victory  over  Satan,  redeem  to 
himself  a  peculiar  people    and 

ESTABLISH    A  CHURCH  IN  THE  WORLD. 

Bat  the  race  had  become  rebellious  ;  and  because  of  the 
apostacy  God  cursed  the  ground  and  drove  the  transgressors 
from  the  beautiful  garden,  lest,  by  being  suffered  to  remain 
there  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  former  privileges,  they  should 
partake  of  the  tree  of  life  ; — i.  e.  be  insensible  to  the  evil  of 
sin  and  fancy  that  they  could  gain  heaven  by  their  own  obedi- 
ence. They  went  forth  to  a  world  of  thorns  and  briars  ; 
there  to  beget  a  race  from  their  own  fallen  nature  ; — a  race,  cor- 
rupt;  enemies  to  God  who,  through  voluntary  transgression, 
would  bring  upon  themselves  innumerable  evils  in  this  life  and 
become  exposed  to  eternal  death. 

How  many  of  their  offspring  were  trained  up  for  heaven  by 
tlieir  daily  sacrifices  and  instructions,  we  know  not.  One  in- 
teresting lovely  youth  in  this  family,  stand?  on  record,  "  an  heir 
of  the  righ:eousness  which  is  by  faith."  Abel  believed  in  God. 
In  hope  of  eternal  life  through  the  promised  seed,  he  offered  a 
lamb  from  his  flock.  The  doctrine  of  the  cross  was  foolishness 
to  Cain.  '■  e  scorned  the  thought  of  receiving  salvation  through 
he  merits  of  another,  and,  trusting  in  his  own  righteousness, 
he  brought  only  an  offering  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground.  The 
Lord  rejected  it,  but  had  respect  unto  that  of  Abel  Cain's  anger 
rose.  He  fell  upon  his  brother  and  slew  him.  Awful  fruit  of 
the  apostacy  !  Solemn  stroke  !  The  first  of  unnumbered  that 
should  fall  from  the  hands  of  wicked  men  upon  the  followers  of 
the  Lamb.  Abel  perished  ;  the  first  martyr  to  truth.  Heav- 
en's portals  opened  wide  to  admit  the  first  of  the  ransomed  of 
the  Lord,  who  should  come  to  Mount  Zion,  washed,  sanctified 
and  justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of 
God.  Him,  angels  welcomed  with  joy  as  a  spectacle  never  be- 
fore witnessed  in  their  happ}'  regions  ;  while  he,  being  ead, 
by  his  faith  yet  speaketh  to  all  the  children  )f  men,  assuring  them 
that  a  sacrifice,  offered  with  an  honest  and  true  heart,  a  deep 
sense  ol  the  guilt  of  sin  and  a  firm  reliance  on  the  atonement 
of  Christ,  will  render  sinners  acceptable  to  God,  and  fit  ihein 
for  glory. 

Having  laid  his  body  iu  the  grave,  his  parents  returned  to 
their  dwelling,  cast  down,  yet  not  destroyed.  They  trusted  the 
promise  of  God.  for  a  righteous  seed  and  the  Lord  remembered 


Chap.  «.  translation  of  enocii  ISF 

them  in  mercy  and  sent  them  another  son,  whom  they  called 
Seth  ; — manifestly  a  pious  man,  for  said  his  mother  in  holy  faith, 
God  hath  appointed  me  another  seed  instead  of  Abel. 

In  their  posterity,  of  the  third  generation,  in  the  days  of  Eno? 
they  witnessed  a  general  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit.  "  Then," 
says  the  inspired  historian,  "  men  began  to  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord."  Whether  we  consider  these  words  as  den^  ting 
that  then  prayer  became  a  duty  of  common  observance,  or  that, 
in  that  age  men  first  erected  houses  of  worship,  and  assembled 
for  praye  •  and  praise  or  entered  into  covenant  with  God  and 
professed  themselves  his  people,  it  is  manifest  there  was  a  gen- 
eral and  great  revival  ol  religion  ;  for  nothing  else  could  have 
induced  men  to  do  either  of  therve  things.  This  was  in  about 
the  235th  year  of  the  world,  when  the  church  was  probably 
large  and  many  were  prepared  for  heaven. 

Of  the  state  of  religion  in  the  three  succeeding  generations 
we  have  no  account.  Probably  there  was  no  other  out-;  ouring 
of  the  Spirit,  and  the  love  of  many,  w  ho  had  turned  to  the 
Lord,  had  waxed  cold.  In  the  seventh  generation  from  Adam, 
we  find  Enoch,  a  man  eminently  elevated  above  this  worli  and 
devoted  to  God.  He  was  a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  and  uttered  a 
remarkable  prophecy  of  the  coming  of  Christ  to  take  to  him- 
self the  kingdom  and  the  dominion,  and  to  judge  the  world. — 
"And  Enoch  also,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  says  Jude,  prophe- 
sied of  these,  saying,  behold  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thou- 
sand of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment  upon  all  and  to  con- 
vince all,  that  are  ungodly  among  them,  of  their  ungodly  deeds, 
which  they  have  ungodly  committed ;  and  of  all  their  hard 
speeches  which  ungodly  sinners  have  spoken  against  him." 
What  a  view  does  this  give  us  of  the  wickedness  of  man  at  that 
period  !  How  solemn  was  that  voice,  echoing  through  that 
world  of  sin  and  transgression — like  the  last  trump  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  resurrection  !  If  many  mocked,  with  what  anguish 
must  they  have  remembered  it  in  a  future  age,  when  the  foun- 
tains of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up,  and  the  floods  came  and 
swept  them  all  away  ! 

r.noch  lived  a  life  of  faith,  maintained  holy  fellowship  and 
sweet  communion  with  God  ;  and  God  testified  his  delight  in 
him  by  translating  him,  soul  and  body,  to  heaven,  not  suffering 
him  to  taste  death.  By  this  great  event  also,  God  gave  his 
Qimrch  a  lively  assurance  of  a  future  world,  and  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead.  All  who  had  died  were  sleeping  in  their 
graves.  No  specific  promise  had  beeu  given  that  the  body 
should  be  delivered  from  the  ruins  of  the  fall.     Here  the  saints 


20  ANTEDILUVIAN    CHURCH.  PeRI(3D   I. 

lyitncssed  a  rescue  of  Enoch  from  death  and  the  grave,  and 
had  a  precious  intimation  of  the  future  entire  deliverance  of 
the  whole  man  from  the  bondage  of  corruption.  One  instance 
God  gave  to  the  antediluvian  church.  One  to  the  church,  by 
Elijah,  in  succeeding  periods,  that  her  faith  might  be  in  God  ; 
imtil  Christ  should  burst  the  bands  of  death  and  ascend  a  tri- 
umphant conqueror — **  the  resurrection  and  the  lifeJ^ 


CHAPTER  III. 

Long  lives  and  numbers  of  the  Antediluvians.  Preservation 
of  the  Church.  Her  enemies.  Their  great  ivickedness 
God's  care  of  his  people.     Deluge. 

God  was  pleased  to  continue  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  world, 
upon  earth,  to  an  astonishing  period.  Enoch  was  taken  to  heav- 
en in  the  365th  year  of  his  age  ;  but  the  rest  of  Seth's  de- 
scendants, of  whom  we  have  any  account,  all  lived  more  than 
seven  centuries.  Methuselah  attained  to  the  age  of  969  years. 
Many,  "  not  knowing  the  power  of  God,"  have  supposed  that 
their  years  were  lunar  mouths  ;  but  a  moment's  consideration 
will  shew  the  absurdity  of  such  a  conjecture  ;  for  it  would 
make  them  parents  when  mere  infants,  and  reduce  the  duration 
of  the  old  world  to  less  than  130  years.  By  suffering  man  to 
remain  long  upon  the  earth,  God  gave  him  an  opportunity  to 
act  out  the  wickedness  of  his  heart  and  to  shew  to  the  universe 
the  malignity  and  bitterness  of  sin. 

Living  as  they  did,  through  many  centuries,  the  antediluvians 
must  have  been  very  numerous.  When  Cain  destroyed  his 
brother,  they  had  greatly  multiplied,  so  that  he  was  fearful  to 
go  forth,  lest  any  one  that  met  him  should  kill  him.  The  first 
generations  lived  through  several  successive  periods,  until  the 
mass  of  men  had  accumulated  to  millions  of  millions. 

Among  this  vast  population  we  behold  the  church  small,  but 
distinct.  Indeed  it  was  the  only  thing  of  any  worth  in  the  sight 
of  God — the  only  thing  deserving  sacred  record.  He  has  suf- 
fered every  thing  else — mighty  kingdoms,  flourishing  cities, 
vast  achievements,  powerful  warriors,  and  renowned  statesmen 
— all  to  perish  in  oblivion,  and  has  told  us  only  of  the  holy 
seed,  the  generation  of  the  righteous  ;  among  w^hom  true  reli- 
gion w^as  preserved,  and  who,  especially  from  Enoch  to  Noah, 
were  doubtless  hated  of  all  mQu.     The  following  is  their  record-. 


Chap.  3. 


HER   ENEMIES. 


21 


i 

Began  his  birth  in  the 
year  of  the  world. 

a 

~j2 ' 

'c 
o 

.2 

II 

m 
>^ 

a 

a 

H 
c 

-a 
o 
> 

Died  in  the   year  of 
'the  world 

Adam 

3 

130 

1  800 

930 

930 

Seth 

130 

105  1  807 

1  912 
905 

1042 
1140 

Enos 

235 
325 

90 
70 

1  815 

Cain  an 

1  840 

910 

1235 

Mahalaleel 

395 

65  1  830 

1  895 

1290 

Jared 

460 

162  1  800 

962 

1422 

Enoch 

622  1  65  1  300 
"^687  1  187  1  782 

365 
969 

987 
1656 

Methusaleh 

Lamech 

874  1  182  1  595 

|777 

1651 

Noah 

1  1056  1  500  1    1 

1 

The  enemies  of  the  church  were  mighty.  Cain  was  a  hardened 
wretch.  He  despised  the  sacrifice  which  prefigured  the  atone- 
ment, and  attempted  to  please  God  by  his  own  devices.  Angry  with 
Jehovah  for  exposing  the  hollowness  of  his  heart,  he  wreaked 
his  vengeance  on  his  brother  Abel.  God  called  him  to  account 
and  enquired  for  Abel ;  but,  in  hardened  impudence,  he  said, 
Am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ?  The  Lord  pronounced  him  cursed, 
and  drove  him  out,  a  fugitive  and  vagabond  on  the  earth.  At 
hearing  his  sentence,  remorse  seized  his  soul  ;  and  he  exclaim- 
ed.  My  punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear  !  What  a  picture 
of  impenitent  misery  !  God  determined  he  should  live,  a  monu- 
ment of  the  divine  abhorrence  of  his  crime,  and  he  set  a  mark 
upon  him,  lest  any  finding  him  should  kill  him.  Cain  went 
forth  and  forsook  the  presence  and  ordinances  of  God — in- 
trenched himself  in  a  city  and  became  a  miserable  worldling. 
His  posterity  greatly  increased  and  walked  in  his  steps.  Of 
some  we  read  who  were  ingenious  artificers,  but  of  none  who 
sought  the  Lord.  Lamech  took  to  himself  two  wives  and  intro 
duced  to  the  world  the  dreadful  sin  of  polygamy. 

Not  long  did  the  descendants  of  Cain  flourish  in  the  earth, 
without  exercising  a  baneful  influence  upon  the  children  of  God. 
These,  beholding  their  beautiful  women,  contracted  marriages 
with  them.     Their  progeny  were  giants  in  wickedness.     Says 


32  THEIR    AWFUL    WICKEDNESS.  PeRIOD  J 

the  inspired  historian,  "  there  were  giants  in  those  days  ;  when 
the  sons  of  God  came  in  unto  the  daughters  of  men,  and  they 
bare  children  to  them,  the  same  became  men  of  renown  ,^' — no 
doubt,  the  men  of  whom  Enoch  prophesied  the  Lord  would  be 
avenged  for  ''  all  their  ungodly  deeds  which  tliey  had  ungodly 
committed  and  all  their  hard  speeches  which  they  had  spoken 
against  him."  And  now  the  flood-gates  of  wickedness  being 
open  and  the  torrents  of  iniquity  overflowing  the  earth,  the 
Lord  sware  in  his  wrath,  "  My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  witli 
man,  for  that  he  also  is  flesh,"  is  corrupt,  depraved,  has  prosti- 
tuted all  his  noble  powers,  before  the  most  debased  appetite^^ 
and  passions. 

The  Spirit  of  ^od  being  withdrawn,  the  prince  of  the  power 
of  the  air,  the  spirit  that  worketh  in  the  children  of  disobedi- 
ence had  a  full  triumph.  Generation  succeeded  generation, 
practising  the  most  open,  daring,  atrocious  wickedness.  Vio- 
lence, murder,  war,  rapine  and  vile  idolatry  filled  the  earth. 
Terrible  were  the  enemies  of  vital  godliness. 

But  amidst  the  moral  desolations  oftheold  world,  the  Church 
stood.  It  was  the  cause  of  Jehovah.  In  the  little  families  of 
Metlmsaleh  and  Lamech  and  "^  oah  it  lived  ;  and  in  the  last  of 
these  holy  men,  God  designed  to  carry  it  through  the  most  aw- 
ful judgment  ever  inflicted  upon  our  globe.  Upon  a  view  of 
the  horrid  impiety  which  filled  the  earth,  '*  it  repented  the  Lord 
that  he  had  made  man  upon  the  earth,  and  it  grieved  him  at 
his  heart."  Not  only  had  he  an  extreme  abhorrence  of  the  crimes 
of  men  and  their  desperate  wickedness,  but  his  soul  loathed 
them. — "  And  the  Lord  said,  1  will  destroy  man  whom  I  have 
created, from  the  face  of  the  earth,  both  man  and  beast  and  every 
creeping  thing,  and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  for  it  repenteth  me 
that  Ihave  made  them 

Easily  indeed,  might  he  have  sent  forth  his  Spirit,  and 
converted  the  hearts  of  that  ungodly  generation  to  himself,  and 
fitted  them  all  for  the  happiness  of  heaven :  and  not  less  impi- 
ous men  of  later  ages  have  had  the  hardihood  to  contemn  God, 
because,  when  it  lay  in  his  power,  he  did  not  save  them  and  all 
men.  But  it  pleases  Jehovah  sometimes  to  manifest  his  jus- 
tice and  his  wrath,  as  well  as  his  grace.  He  would  have  been 
righteous  in  destroying  them  v/ithout  warning.  But  to  exhibit 
further  his  patience  and  long  suffering,  he  warned  them  by  the 
preaching  of  Noah,  for  the  space  of  120  years.  In  that  holy 
man  was  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  he  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
By  this  Spirit,  says  Peter,  *'  he  went  and  preached  unto  the  spir- 
its in  prison,"  (the  spirits  confined  in  the  time  when  Peter  wrote 


ClIAP.  3.  THE    DELUGE.  2l3 

in  the  prison  of  hell,  suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  (ire,) 
"  which  sometimes  were  disobedient,  when  once  the  long-sut" 
fering  of  God,  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah." 

For  the  preservation  of  this  holy  man  and  his  family,  God  di- 
rected Noah  to  prepare  an  ark.  It  was  a  strange  commission. 
It  was  making  provision  against  a  calamity  which,  to  the  eye 
of  sense  and  reason,  seemed  impossible.  But  Noah  believed 
the  word  of  the  Lord.  He  did  not  expostulate  against  the  sen- 
tence ;  nor  did  he  decline  a  labour  almost  too  great  for  man  and 
which  would  expose  him  to  the  most  cutting  ridicule  and  re- 
proach. But "  moved  with  fear,"  reverencing  Jehovah,  he  com- 
menced his  work  ;  and  by  his  works,  warned  every  beholder  to 
repent  of  his  sins  and  flee  from  impending  destruction. 
The  world  beheld,  ridiculed  and  mocked ;  went  on  eating  and 
drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  marriage.  No  heart  relented. 
No  sinner,  fearful  of  the  truth,  enquired,  Where  is  God  my  ma- 
ker ?  But  the  purpose  of  God  was  fixed  ;  and  he  moved  on  to 
its  accomplishment,  glorious  in  holiness. 

At  the  appointed  time,  the  ark  was  completed  and  Noah 
and  his  wife  and  his  sons  and  their  wives,  the  little  church 
OP  God,  and  two  of  every  flying  fowl  and  creeping  thing,  for  their 
continuance  upon  the  earth,  were  gathered  in.  Solemn  mo- 
ment !  The  door  was  shut ;  and  the  rain  descended,  the  win- 
dows of  heaven  were  opened,  and  the  fountams  of  the  great 
deep  were  broken  up,  and  God  had  no  pity,  and  man  could  find 
no  refuge ;  the  tallest  trees,  the  highest  mountains  were  alike 
covered,  and  paleness,  and  horror,  and  death  seized  the  vast 
family  of  man. 

To  this  great  and  awful  judgment  of  God  upon  the  enemies 
of  the  church,  we  have  evidently  some  allusion  in  early  writ- 
ings and  the  religious  rites  of  Heathen  nations  ,  and  there  are 
numerous  appearances  in  the  earth  which  clearly  indicate  that 
it  was  once  overwhelmed  by  a  deluge  of  water.  Trees,  bones 
of  animals,  sea  shells,  petrified  fishes  deeply  imbedded  in  the 
earth,  yea  in  the  hardest  strata  and  on  the  tops  of  the  highest 
mountains,  are  memorials  of  this  dread  event.  But  we  believe 
it  chiefly,  because  God  declares  it  in  his  holy  word.  We  do 
not  ask  how  it  could  be, — we  enter  into  no  philosophical  dis- 
cussion, we  seek  for  the  intervention  of  no  comet ;  sufficient  for 
us  is  it  to  know  that  the  winds  and  the  waves  and  the  seas  obey 
the  Almighty.  We  learn  from  it  that  God  abhors  the  workers 
of  iniquity  and  will  not  let  the  wicked  go  unpunished  ;  and  we 
lift  up  our  hearts  to  ^God  in  the  heavens  and  say,  Lord,  give  us 


24  RE-SETTLEMEXT    OF   THE    CHURCH.  PeRIOdI. 

grace  that  we  may  take  warning  by  it  and  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come. 

The  ark  consisted  of  three  stories,  with  one  window  in  the 
top,  it  was  sufficiently  large  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
designed  ;  being  480  feet  in  length,  81  in  breadth,  and  41  in 
heighth.  After  floating  on  the  waters  150  days,  it  rested  on 
one  of  the  mountains  of  Ararat.  Noah  and  his  family  contin- 
ued in  it  one  year  and  ten  days. 

The  flood  took  place  in  the  1656th  year  of  the  world ;  2,348 
years  before  Christ,  and  4,177  years  from  the  present  time. 

This  flood  which  washed  away  the  wickedness  of  the  world 
was  a  remarkable  type  of  the  redemption  by  the  blood  of  Christ, 
which  is  sealed  to  us  by  the  baptism  of  water.  These  "  eight 
souls  were  saved  by  water."  "  The  like  figure  whereunto  says 
Peter,  even  baptism  doth  also  now  save  us,  (not  the  putting 
away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a  good  con- 
science toward  God,)  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ."  And 
the  ark,  which  was  the  refuge  of  the  people  of  Jehovah,  amid 
the  storms  of  divine  vengeance,  was  a  type  of  Christ,  the  eter- 
nal refuge  of  perishing  sinners.  *'  Come  thou,"  says  God,  in 
this  day  of  mercy,  to  every  sinner,  "  Come  thou  and  all  thy 
house  into  the  ark." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Re'Settlement  of  the  Church.  Prophecies  of  Noah.  Location 
of  Arrarat.  Ihiilcling  of  Bahcl.  God  curtails  the  future 
power  of  the  enemies  of  his  church  hy  the  confusion  of 
tongues  and  shortening  men's  lives. 

When  God  had  fully  executed  his  vengeance  on  the  wicked 
inhabitants  of  the  old  world,  he  brought  forth  his  little  church 
from  the  ark  and  gave  to  it  the  earth  for  a  possession.  To  express 
the  grateful  eniotions  of  his  heart,  Noah  built  an  altar  and  ofter- 
rd  sacrifices  unto  the  Lord.  His  oifcrings  were  accepted,  and 
God  renewed  with  him  and  his  seed  the  covenant  of  grace,  ma- 
king the  rainbow,  a  thing  permanent  as  light,  a  token  of  ihe 
covenant ;  and  gave  them  every  moving  thing  to  be  meat  for  them, 
prohibiting  however  the  eating  of  blood,  because  he  had  appoin- 
ted the  bk)od  to  be  an  atonement  for  sin.  As  mankind  had  no 
right  to  eat  flesh  before  the  deluge,  this  grant  was  a  great  alle- 
viation  of  the   Qriginal  curse  upon   human   sustenance ; — an 


Chap.  4.  propiiecy  of  noaii.  25 

alleviation  in  prophetic  view  of  which,  at  the  birth  of  Noah, 
Lamech  might  well  exclaim,  "  This  same  shall  comfort  us  con- 
cerning our  work  and  toil  of  our  hand^^,  because  of  the  ground 
which  the  Lord  hath  cursed." 

*'  Noah  was  a  just  man  and  perfect  in  his  generation."  But 
"there  is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth 
not ;"  and  such  is  the  fidelity  of  th-  scripture  historians,  that 
they  fail  not  to  record  the  vices  of  the  holiest  men.  Noah 
planted  a  vineyard  and  drank  to  excess  of  the  fruit  of  the 
vine.  As  he  lay  inebriated  and  uncovered  in  his  tent,  he  was 
discovered  by  Ham,  his  youngest  son,  who  made  sport  of  the 
humiliating  spectacle.  But,  actuated  by  a  better  spirit,  Shem 
and  Japhet  took  a  garment  and  went  backward  and  decently 
covered  the  nakedness  of  tlieir  Father.  When  Noah  awoke 
and  was  informed  of  t4ie  deeds  they  had  done,  he  declared,  un- 
der the  influence  of  the  Spirit,  the  feelmgs  of  his  soul  relating 
to  the  future  condition  of  their  families. 

"  Cursed  be  Canaan  ! 

A  servant  of  servants  to  his  brothers  let  him  be  I 

Blessed  be  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Shem  ! 

And  let  Canaan  be  their  servant  ! 

And  may  God  extend  Japheth, 

And  may  he  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem  ! 

And  let  Canaan  be  their  servant." 

It  was  a  wonderful  prophecy,  which  has  been  astonishingly  ful- 
filled, first  in  the  subjection  of  the  Canaanites  to  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  since  in  the  more  extensive  subjection  of  Africa, 
which  was  settled  by  Ham,  to  the  Romans,  the  Saracens,  the 
Turks,  and  in  the  millions  on  millions  who  have  been  carried 
from  that  unhappy  region  into  foreign  slavery  ; — in  the  preser- 
vation of  the  true  church  in  the  line  of  Shem,  (from  Vt^hom 
Abraham  descended)  and  the  tabernacling  of  Christ  among  the 
Jews  ;  and  in  the  wonderful  spread  of  the  posterity  of  Japhot 
over  all  urope  and  America  and  many  parts  of  Asia,  where 
especially  by  Grecian,  Roman  and  British  conquests,  they  have 
dwelt  in  the  tents  of  Shem  ;  and,  in  a  still'^'higher  sense,  in  their 
extensive  conversion  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  and  dwelling  in 
the  tents  of  Shem,  the  church  of  the  living  God. 

The  Ark  rested  on  one  of  the  mountains  of  Arrarat.  These 
mountains  are  commonly  supposed  to  lie  in  the  ancient  country' 
of  Armenia.  Some  have  conjectured  that  they  were  farther 
East,  perhaps  on  the  Hymlaya  mountains,  the  highest  in  the 
werld  ;  as  th^  journeving  of  the  descendants  of  Noah  toward  Shi- 

3 


26  CONFUSION  OF  LANGUAGES.        PERIOD  I. 

naar  is  said  to  have  been  from  the  East  and  not  as  it  must  have 
been  on  the  common  supposition,  from  the  West  ;  as  no  men- 
tion is  ever  made  of  Noah  in  any  account  of  the  Western  na- 
tions, though  he  lived  300  years  after  the  flood  ;  as  the  Hindoo 
and  Chinese  are  very  ancient  nations  ;  and,  Fohi,  the  reputed 
founder  of  the  Chinese  empire,  bears  strong  resemblance  to 
Noah.  But  it  is  most  probable  that  they  were  not  far  dis- 
tant from  Shinar,  as  no  motive  could  have  led,  so  early,  to  a 
distant  emigration. 

At  the  ch)se  of  the  first  century,  after  Noah  came  out  of  the 
ark,  his  descendants,  who  might  already  have  increased  to  a 
million  of  souls,  spread  over  that  beautiful  country  through  which 
ran  the  Euphrates. 

At  this  time  the  whole  earth  was  of  one  language  ;  that 
language,  no  doubt,  with  which  God  endued  Adam.  Had  men 
been  uncorrupt,  uniformity  of  speech  might  have  been  of  the 
highest  utility.  But  guided  by  the  depraved  heart,  it  had  become 
one  of  the  most  powerful  instruments  of  corruption,  and  wasprob- 
ably  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  the  abominations  and  violence 
of  the  antediluvians.  One  mind,  powerful  in  oratory  or  song 
could  easily  reach  the  hearts  of  a  world.  God  therefore  resol- 
ved to  deprive  the  future  enemies  of  his  church  of  so  tremen- 
dous an  engine.  This  purpose  he  executed  on  beholding 
them  there  on  the  plains  of  Shinar,  combniing  together  and 
erecting  a  city  i  nd  tower  which  would  make  them  one  vast  and 
powerful  people.  "  Goto,"  said  he,  "  let  us  go  down  and  con- 
found their  language,  that  they  may  not  understand  one  anoth- 
er's speech."  The  builders  of  Babel  were  thrown  into  confu- 
sion and  scattered  abroad,  ana  the  little  church  was  left  to  gath- 
er strength  unmolested  by  so  great  a  weapon. 

Another  thing  which,  before  the  flood,  had  nearly  destroyed 
the  church,  was  the  great  age  which  the  wicked  were  suffered 
to  attain.  Worldly  power  would  not  be  the  portion  of  God's 
people.  Should  the  wicked  therefore,  who  ordinarily  inherit 
it,  be  continued  again  centuries  upon  earth  and  for  centuries 
persecute  the  church,  how  could  the  church  live  ?  She  almost 
expires  in  particular  provinces  even  under  the  tyranny,  for  a  few 
years,  of  some  merciless  persecutor.  God  therefore,  out  of  re- 
gard to  his  church,  shortened  the  lives  of  men,  first  to  a  few  cen- 
turies ;  and  then,  to  three  score  and  ten  years. 

Where  to  look  for  the  church  at  this  period  we  know  not; 
but  it  continued  in  the  family  of  Noah,  and  in  the  line  ofShem. 
Shem  lived  an  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  the  birth  of  Abra- 
ham and  must  have  been  venerated  for  his  piety  and  age  by  all 


Chap.  5.  dispersion  of  mankind.  27 

about  him  ;  but  he  seems  to  have  been  unknown  by  the  family 
of  that  pious  patriarch.  His  descendants,  however,  we  soon 
find  in  the  regions  of  Chaldea  and  Assyria  ;  though,  by  many 
able  and  learned  writers,  it  is  thought  they  had  no  concern  in 
the  building  of  Babel.  They  feared  God.  They  maintained 
among  them  the  true  religion.  They  were  the  branch  from 
which  Christ  was  to  come.  God  was  their  God,  and  Christ 
their  Redeemer  ;  and,  if  they  sometimes  partook  of  the  gene- 
ral corruption  around  them,  and  ''  served  other  gods,"  yet  the 
gates  of  hell  were  never  suffered  to  prevail  against  them. 

In  the  providence  of  God,  the  world,  which  had  been  in  so 
awful  a  manner  depopulated,  was  soon  filled  with  inhabitants, 
Japhet  had  seven  sons.  These  settled  Armenia  and  Greece, 
and  from  them  came  the  present  inhabitants  of  Europe  and  the 
United  States.  Ham  had  four,  whose  posterity  filled  Babylj- 
nia  and  Arabia — Canaan  and  Egypt.  Shem  five.  From  these 
descended  the  Assyrians,  Persians,  Jews,  Hindoos,  and  Chi- 
nese, and  aborigines  of  America.  These  were  the  sons  of 
Noah  ''  after  their  famihes,  after  their  tongues,  in  their  lands, 
after  their  nations  and  by  these  were  the  nations  divided  in  the 
earth  after  the  flood."* 

Some  will  ever  affirm  that  the  Negro,  the  Chinese,  the  Euro- 
pean and  the  American  Indian  could  not  have  had  a  common  ori- 
gin ;  but  the  candid  enquirer 'after  truth  will  receive  the  testi- 
mony of  God  and  by  this  be  satisfied  that  all  mankind  descended 
from  the  patriarch  who  was  preserved  in  the  ark. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Early  defection  from  the  true  religion.     Ilistonj  of  Idolatry. 

The  awful  judgment  of  God  upon  the  old  world,  did  not  era- 
dicate depravity  from  the  human  heart.  Even  Ham,  the  young- 
est son  of  the  patriarch  Noah,  one  who  had  witnessed  all  the 
wonders  of  the  flood,  soon  exhibited  an  unnatural  and  depraved 
spirit,  and  went  out,  like  Cain,  with  his  posterity,  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  an  ungodly  generation.  The  Cushites, 
his  immediate  descendants,  were  probably  the  chief  families  that 
were  concerned  in  the   building   of  Babel  ;    but  neither  were 

*  Gen  X. 


'8  HISTORY  Period  I. 

they  brought  back  to  the  Lord  by  the  new  and  fearful  judgment 
of  heaven  inflicted  upon  them.  The  whole  of  that  country 
through  which  they  were  dispersed,  was-  in  a  few  centuries,  al- 
mos  entirely  idolatrous ;  so  that  even  the  generation  of  the 
righteous,  drawn  m  by  the  general  corruption,  were  accused  ot 
serving  '-other  gods"  than  Jehovah. 

If  there  were  others  less  vile  and  ferocious  ;  others,  who  had 
a  high  veneration  for  Noah  and  who  would  religiously  com- 
memorate the  deluge  aiid  the  re-];eopling  of  the  earth,  still 
their  descendants  soon  perverted  the  whole,  and  canonized  and 
worshipped  those  memorable  incidents.  Among  all  the 
eastern  nation:^,  therefore,  we  find  many  allusions,  in  reli- 
gious rites,  to  Noah  and  his  ark,  the  dove,  the  olive  branch; 
indeed  almost  a  complete  mythological  history  of  the  delude. 

Having  once  departed  from  tlie  living  God,  the  nations  mul- 
tiplied to  themselves  deities  with  amazing  rapidity.  As  the 
most  striking  objects  in  nature  and  the  mediate  source  of  all 
good  to  men,  the  heavenly  bodies  soon  attracted  veneration. 

Renowned  men,  who  had  been  the  benefactors  or  scourges 
of  their  race,  were,  in  great  numbers,  enthroned  on  high.  But 
gods  were  found  in  every  thing.  Egypt,  settled  by  Mizraim, 
the  second  son  of  Ham,  was  the  fruitful  mother  of  abominations. 
There  the  earth,  sea,  hills,  rivers,  animals,  fishes,  birds,  plants 
and  stones  received  homage.  Later  nations  deified  abstract 
qualities,  fame,  piety, truth  and  even  physical  evils,  evil  fortune  ; 
and  several,  the  very  vices  of  men.  Some  of  the  gods  were  sup- 
posed to  be  good  and  the  authors  of  happiness  ;  others,  cruel  and 
malignant,  the  authors  of  all  misery.  Every  nation,  city,  and 
family,  in  time,  had  its  respective  deity ;  and,  through  complai- 
sance, the  heathen  nations  adopted  all  gods  of  which  they  had 
any  knowledge.  The  Athenians  erected  an  altar  to  the  Un- 
known God.' 

The  principal  Heathen  deities  mentioned  in  the  history  of 
the  Jews  are  Baal,  or  the  Sun  ;  Astarte  or  Ashtaroth,  the  Moon  ; 
several  Baalim  or  Lords  ;  as  Baal  Peor,  a  god  of  the  Moabites  ; 
Baal  Berith  or  god  of  the  Covenant,  a  god  of  the  Shechemites  ; 
Baal  Zebub,  a  tutelary  deity  in  the  city  of  Ekron,  that  pro- 
tected the  people  from  gnats.  Moloch  or  the  planet  Saturn 
which  was  worshipped  as  a  god  who  devoured  his  own  off- 
spring. The  statue  of  Moloch,  erected  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom, 
was  of  brass.  Its  arms  were  stretched  out  ;  upon  these  chil- 
dren were  placed  and,  as  the  arms  declined,  they  rolled  off  into 
a  furnace  of  fire  placed  below.  Dagon,  a  female  deity,  the 
goddess  of  the  Philistines.     Rimmon,  an   idol   of  the   Assyri-' 


Chap.  5.  op  idolatry.  29 

ans.  Chiun  or  Saturn,  whose  tabernacles  or  small  shrines  the 
Israelites  carried  with  them  in  the  wilderness. 

Discontented  with  a  pure  spiritual  worship,  men  early  began 
to  form  images  of  the  true  God.  The  Jevvs  made  a  calf  to 
represent  Jehovah,  probably  because  they  had  seen  the  Egyp- 
tians worship  Apis,  a  bull,  as  god.  Micah  had  an  image  of 
Jehovah.  The  Heathen  carried  imagery  to  a  great  extreme. 
They  worshipped  nothing  without  an  image.  The  images 
were  at  first  rude  blocks  of  wood  or  stone.  These  were  after- 
wards carved  with  care  into  every  form  and  shape.  The  Ter- 
aphim  were  images  in  the  human  form.  Some  idols  were  pari 
man  and  part  beast.  Dagon,  of  the  Philistines,  had  a  human 
body  terminating  below  in  a  fish.  One  of  the  Egyptian  deities 
had  the  head  of  a  dog  ;  another,  the  head  of  a  bird.  Some  of 
the  gods  were  made  of  precious  metals  or  covered  with  silver  or 
gold,  and  adorned  with  the  most  costly  vestments. 

As  they  became  precious,  slight  buildmgs  were  erected  over 
them  to  protect  them  from  the  weather.  These  were  soon 
succeeded  by  splendid  temples.  The  Goddess  Diana  had 
a  most  magnificent  temple  at  Ephesus.  Sometimes  groves 
were  planted  around  the  temples,  especially  if  the  deity  was 
a  patron  of  licentiousness. 

The  deities  it  was  believed,  might  be  induced  to  enter  the 
images  and  grant  such  favours  as  were  desired,  by  certain  cer- 
emonies, incantations  and  sacrifices  ;  whence  arose  a  vast  mul- 
titude of  rites  and  ceremonies ;  sacrifices  ;  oblations  ;  and  an 
immense  priesthood  whose  business  it  was  to  attend  upon  them. 
Their  sacrifices  were  victims,  salt  cakes,  libations,  honey,  in- 
cense. Almost  every  distinguished  god  was  honored  with  some 
great  festival,  which  was  the  holyday  of  thousands,  and  was 
observed  by  sports  and  solemn  processions  and  great  feastings. 
Sacrifices  were  accompanied  with  prayers  followed  by  loud 
shouting  and  leaping,  and  wounds  upon  the  body.  These  false 
deities  demanded  no  morality  of  their  worshippers  and  even 
knew  none  themselves.  Often  were  they  supposed  guilty  of 
the  grossest  vices  and  abominations.  And  to  please  them,  an 
imitation  of  their  wickedness   formed  part  of  their  worship. 

Out  of  idolatry  early  arose  divination  and  necromancy. 
Many  pretended  to  an  intimacy  with  the  deities  ;  to  the  power 
of  working  miracles  and  the  knowledge  of  future  events. 
These  wonder-workers  were  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  time  of 
Moses  and  Belteshazzar.  In  later  periods  Oracles  were  es* 
tablished,  from  which  it  was  pretended  that  the  god  spake  ;  an- 
swering the  enquiries  of  mortals.  Dreams  were  thought  to 
come  from  the  gods  ;  and  all  nations,  particularly  the  Romans, 

3* 


'iO  IDOLATRY.  Period  I 

erave  much   heed  to  omens  and  prodigies — such  as  monsters, 
comets,  eclipses,  the  flight  of  birds,  and  entrails  of  beasts. 

The  light  of  philosophy  had,  in  some  measure,  opened  the 
eyes  of  men  in  civilized  Europe  to  the  fooleries  of  idolatry, 
when  Christ  appeared  ;  but  it  was  three  centuries  before  Chris- 
tianity obtained  a  triumph  over  the  gods  of  Rome.  But  little 
variation  has  probably  been  made  in  those  countries  which  still 
remain  pagan,  from  their  former  state.  They  have,  from  the 
days  of  Nahor, ''  served  other  gods,"* — are  ''old  wastes,  the  des- 
olations of  many  generations."  India  has  her  '300  million  dei- 
ties. Her  images  are  brass,  wood  and  stone.  Her  horrid  idol 
Juggernaut  is  drawn  in  a  splendid  car.  Most  of  the  Islands 
of  the  Pacific  have  been,  until  of  late,  in  the  same  awful  bon- 
dage. When,  O  when  shall  they  all  cast  their  gods  to  the  moles 
and  the  bats  ? 

Some  would  charitably  suppose  that  every  idolater  is  a  sincere 
worshipper  of  his  creator  and  benefactor.  But  Paul  assures 
us  that  idolatry  originated  in  the  depravity  of  the  heart.  "  Be- 
cause that  when  they  knew  God  they  glorified  him  not  as  God, 
neither  were  thankful,  but  became  vain  n  their  imagination, 
and  their  foolish  heart  was  darkened.  Professing  themselves 
to  be  wise,  they  became  fools  ;  and  changed  the  glory  of  the 
incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  man 
and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts  and  creeping  things."  And 
the  correctness  of  his  declaration  is  evinced  by  the  moral  char- 
acter of  the  whole  heathen  world.  Through  every  generation 
in  every  clime,  it  has  been  vile  and  abominable  beyond  what 
language  can  express.  The  picture  of  it  in  his  day  drawn  by 
Paul  in  the  close  of  the  first  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, is  the  best  ever  presented  to  the  world,  and  is  a  correct 
representation  of  Heathen  immorality  in  every  period  of  time. 
•' And  even  as  they  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in  their  know- 
ledge, God  gave  them  over  to  a  reprobate  mind  to  do  those 
things  which  are  not  convenient ;  being  filled  with  all  unright- 
eousness, fornication,  wickedness,  covetousness,  malicious- 
ness ;  full  of  envy,  murder,  debate,  deceit,  malignity  ;  whis- 
perers;  despiteful,  haters  of  God,  proud,  boasters,  inventors  of 
evil  tilings,  disobedient  to  parents,  without  understanding,  cov- 
enant-breakers, without  natural  affection,  implacable,  unmerci- 
ful ; — who,  knowing  the  judgment  of  God,  that  they  which 
commit  such  things  are  worthy  of  death,  not  only  do  the  same, 
bat   have  pleasure  in  them  that  do  them." 


*  From  idol  worship,  the  aborig^ines  of  America  have  been  remark' 
ably  free. 


PERIOD  ZX. 

FltOM     TIJU    CAIL     GF   ABRAHAM     TO     THE      BlRTIl      6F   CHRIST  : 
EMBRACING    1921    YEARS. 

CHAPTER  I 

Call  of  Abraham.  Institution  of  Circumcision^  and  estahlislir- 
ment  of  the  Jewish  Church.  Destruction  of  the  cities  of  the 
plain.     State  of  religion  in  the  world, 

Abraham  was  born  in  the  200Sth  year  of  the  world  ;  35*2 
years  after  the  flood,  and  1996  years  before  Christ.  He  was 
the  son  of  Terah ;  and  the  tenth,  in  a  direct  line,  from  Noah. 
His  ancestors,  for  many  generations,  lived  in  Ur  of  the  Chal- 
dees  :  whence  his  father  came  into  the  regions  of  Mesoj.ota- 
mia,  expelled,  if  we  may  credit  a  traditionary  account  recorded 
in  the  book  of  Judith,  by  the  idolaters,  for  his  worship  of  the  true 
Go»i.  Even  they,  however,  were  seduced  into  tlie  heaven-pro- 
voking abomination,  and  bowed  down,  to  some  extent,  to  idols. 
*'  Your  father,"  said  God,  by  Joshua,  "  dwelt  on  the  other  side 
of  the  flood  (the  Euphrates)  in  old  time  ;  even  Terah,  the  father  of 
Abraham  and  the  father  of  Nahor  ;  and  they  served  other  gods." 
Besides  Abraham,  Terah  had  two  sons,  Nahor  and  Haran,  and 
one  daughter,  Sarai,  who  became  Abiaham's  wife.  Though 
she  was  his  sister  she  was  of  a  different  mother.  Haran  was 
the  father  of  Lot  and  died  in  Ur. 

As  the  nations  were  becoming  corrupt  with  amazing  rapidity, 
and  true  religion  was  in  danger  of  being  extinct  in  the  world, 
God  selected  this  family  to  be  the  depositary  of  truth.  He  aj> 
peared  to  Abraham  m  the  Toth  year  of  his  age,  directed  him  to 
leave  his  country  and  his  kindred,  and  go  to  a  land  he  would 
shew  him,  and  promised  that  he  would  bless  him  and  give  him 
a  numerous  posterity,  and  that  in  him  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  should  be  blessed.  This  was  the  third  time  that  the 
covenant  of  graoe  had  been  revealed  by  Ood  to  his  church.    It 


02  CALL   OF   ABRAHABf.  P'ERIOD   IT. 

was  fii'sl  made  known  to  Adam  &  Eve,  when  the  Lord  assur- 
ed them  that  the  seed  of  the  woman  should  bruise  the  serpent's 
head.  It  was  renewed  with  Noah  and  his  sons,  when 
they  came  out  of  the  ark.  And  now,  it  was  presented  to  Abra- 
ham with  still  greater  fulness.  Christ  was  promised  from  his 
loins  ;  and  in  him,  it  was  declared,  that  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  should  be  blessed.     This  was  a  great  Era  in  the  Church. 

Confiding  in  the  word  of  the  Lord,  this  pious  patriarch  took 
Sarai  his  wife,  and  Lot,  his  brother's  son,  and  all  their  sub- 
stance, passed  to  Sichem,  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  there, 
built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  There  again,  God  appeared  to 
him  and  renewed  covenant  with  him.  Finding  a  grievous 
famine  in  the  land,  he  went  to  Egypt,  where  he  came  near  lo- 
sing his  wife,  because  she  was  very  beautiful  and  was  known 
only  as  his  sister.  But  God  interposed  for  her  rescue  ,  and 
made  his  power  and  his  wrath  known  to  the  Egyptians.  When 
the  famine  had  ceased,  Abraham  returned  to  Canaan  laden 
with  much  wealth  and  divided  the  land  with  Lot.  '  here  he  be- 
came a  man  of  great  substance  and  strength  :  having  31B  ser- 
vants in  his  household,  and  being  able  to  wage  effectual  war 
with  the  plundering  nations  around  him.  God  often  appeared 
to  him ;  assuring  him  that  he  was  his  shield  and  his  exceeding 
great  reward ;  accepting  his  sacrifices  and  confirming  the 
promises.  On  a  certain  occasion  Melchisedec,  king  of  Sa- 
lem, a  priest  of  the  most  High  God,  met  him  and  blessed  him  in 
the  name  of  the  most  High  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and 
earth. 

But  though  Abraham  believed  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  in 
his  seed  should  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed,  yet  so 
long  was  the  promised  heir  delayed,  that  he  foolishly  took  to 
himself  Hagar,  his  Egyptian  maid;  and  became  the  father  of  a 
son  whom  he  called  Ishmael.  But  this  was  not  the  promised 
seed.  So  far  were  all  the  nations  from  being  blessed  in  him, 
that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  prophecied  concerning  him,  '*  He 
will  be  a  wild  man,  his  hand  will  be  against  every  man,  and  ev- 
ery man's  hand  against  him."  His  posterity,  the  Arabs,  have, 
to  this  day,  been  thieves  and  robbers,  unsubdued  by  any  people. 

At  length,  however,  when  God  had  well  tried  the  faith  of 
the  patriarch,  he  gave  him  in  the  hundredth  year  of  his  age, 
the  promised  son  ;  again  renewing  with  him  his  covenant  for  an 
everlasting  covenant,  promising  that  he  v/ould  be  a  God  to  him 
and  to  his  seed  after  him,  and  instituting  the  ordinance  of  cir- 
cumcision ;  which  was  to  seal  to  them  the  covenant  of  grace, 
and  bind  them  to  an  observance  of  all  its  requisitions. 


Chap.  1.  circumcision.  33 

Hitherto  the  church  had  existed  in  an  unenibodied  state. 
By  no  token  was  slie  distinguished  from  the  world.  God 
was  now  pleased  to  give  her  a  visible  standing  among  the  na- 
tions. By  the  ordinance  of  circumcision,  all  his  people,  with 
their  infant  seed,  were  set  apart  as  the  Lord's.  Whoever  beheld 
them  in  successive  generations,  might  know,  by  this  sign  and 
seal,  that  God  was  their  God  and  they  were  his  people.  From 
this  event  which  occurred  in  the  2108th  year  of  the  world  is  da- 
ted the  establishment  of  the 

JEWISH  CHURCH. 

By  two  other  remarkable  events,  was  the  life  of  this  eminent- 
ly holy  man,  this  head  of  the  church  and  father  of  believers, 
distinguished. 

One  was  an  awful  destruction  of  the  ungodly. 

The  inhabitants  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  with  whom  Lot 
dwelt,  were  among  the  most  wicked  of  the  posterity  of  Ham. — 
Their  abominations  cried  aloud  to  heaven  for  vengeance  ;  and 
the  Lord  God  determined  to  make  "  an  example  of  them  to 
those  that  should  after  live  ungodly."  His  tremendous  pur- 
pose he  made  known  to  his  favoured  servant,  Abraham  ,  whose 
humble,  fervent  intercession  for  the  righteous,  that  might  dwell 
among  them,  has  since  gre;.tly  endeared  him  to  the  people  of 
God.  Lot  was  a  righteous  man,  a  member  of  the  true 
church,  the  only  one  that  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  the  plain.  His 
righteous  soul  was  vexed,  from  day  to  day,  with  the  con- 
versation of  the  wicked  and  with  their  unlawful  deeds  ;  yet  he 
remained  among  them,  from  an  inordinate  attachment  to  the 
world,  and  sav/  all  that  were  dear  to  him  corrupted  and  destroy* 
ed-  But  for  him  Abraham  had  effectually  interceded  ;  and  the 
angels  said  unto  him,  "  Escape  for  thy  life."  No  sooner  had 
he  fled,  than  the  Lord  rained  fire  and  brimstone  from  heaven, 
and  the  inhabitants  were  totally  destroyed,  and  the  whole  plain 
was  converted  into  a  vast  lake,  called  the  Dead  Sea  ;  which 
still  remains  a  memorial  of  the  vengeance  of  God.  How  awful 
the  wrath  of  an  holy  Jehovah  !  This  judgment  was  inflicted  in 
the  2108th  year  of  the  world,  and  1896  years  before  Christ. 

The  other  event  was  a   trial  of  Abraham's  faith. 

Thirty  years  had  elapsed  since  the  birth  of  Isaac  ;  the  long 
expected  seed,  the  child  of  promise,  the  declared  progenitor  of 
Ilim,  in  whom  "  all  the  families  of  the  earth  were  to  be  bles*- 
sed  ;"  when  God  said  to  Abraham,  "  Take  now  thy  son,  thine 
only  son  Isaac,  whom  thou  lovest,  and  get  thee  into  the  land  of 
Moriah  and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt  offering  on  one  of  the 
mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee  of."      Never  was  ("here  a  mo.c* 


34  OFFERING    OP   ISAAC.  PeRIOD  II, 

maiid  so  full  of  terror  !  Every  word  must  have  vvrimg  the  pa- 
triarch's heart  with  anguish.  What  can  we  look  for  but  a  firm 
remonstrance  against  the  horrid  deed  ;  a  plea  from  the  fatal 
example  on  the  surrounding  heathen,  the  reproach  of  his  pie- 
ty and  the  very  promises  and  covenant  of  God  ratified  over  and 
over  ?  But  nothing  of  this.  With  calm  submission  and  holy 
confidence  in  Jshovah,  he  went  forward  and  built  the  altar,  and 
laid  the  wood,  and  bound  Isaac  his  son,  and  lifted  the  knife  to 
slay  him,  when  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  interposed  and  said, 
**  Now  I  know  t  jou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou  hast  not  withheld 
thy  son,  thine  only  son  from  me."  It  was  a  glorious  exhibition 
of  faith  ;  for  which  God  again  confirmed  to  him,  his  exceeding 
great  and  precious  promises.  Having  laid  Sarah  in  the  grave, 
and  provided  a  wife  for  Isaac,  from  the  family  of  his  brother 
Nahor,  in  Padanaram,  Abraham  died  in  the  175th  year  of  hi? 
age. 

This  eminent  patriarch  was  as  distinguished  for  his  piety,  as 
for  the  remarkable  events  of  his  life.  In  humility,  meekness, 
patience,  submission  and  unwavering  confidence  in  God,  he  has 
been  a  pattern  to  all  saints  of  succeeding  ages.  Like  the  rest 
of  this  fallen  world  he  was  a  sinner  ;  he  could  not  be  justified 
by  works ;  he  had  nothing  whereof  to  glory.  But  he  saw 
Christ's  day  afar  off  and  was  glad.  Me  believed  in  God — re- 
joiced in  a  Saviour  to  come,  and  his  faith  was  counted  for 
righteousness.  His  faith  was  a  vital  principle.  "  It  wrought 
with  his  works  and  by  works  was  his  faith  made  perfect,  and 
he  was  called  the  Friend  of  God." 

The  age  of  Abraham  was  one  of  great  declension.  It  was 
the  age  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  But  it  was  not  the  period 
when,  in  one  of  the  capital  cities  of  the  world,  an  altar  should 
be  erected  "  To  the  Unknown  God."  Mankind  had  not  as  yet 
lost  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah.  Some  who  came  oui  of  the 
ark  with  their  immediate  descendants,  were  still  living.  A 
knowledge  of  that  dread  event  and  of  the  power  and  holiness  of 
God  which  occasioned  it,  must  therefore  have  existed  among  all 
people,  while  not  a  few  were  to  be  found  of  sincere  and  fervent 
piety.  The  Persians  were  the  descendants  of  Shem  by  his  son 
Elam,  as  Abraham  and  his  descendants  were  by  Arphaxad  ; 
and  continued,  probably,  for  a  considerable  period,  to  walk  in 
the  way  of  their  fathers.  The  Chaldeans,  the  descendants  of 
Ham,  were  so  far  corrupt  as  to  expel  the  father  of  Abraham  for 
his  religion,  from  their  country.  Among  them,  therefore,  we 
may  look  in  vain  for  any  true  religion. 

The  Arabians  retained  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  the 


CllAP.  I.  JOB.  35 

God  of  Heaven,  until  after  the  days  of  Moses.  Among  them 
we  find  in  this  far  distant  age,  holy  Job.  He  dwelt  in  that  part 
of  Arabia  Petrea,  which  was  called  Edom,  and  bordered  upon 
the  tribe  of  Judah  to  the  south.  His  origin  is  uncertain  ;  and 
the  exact  period  in  which  he  lived  cannot  well  be  determined. 
His  years  were  more  than  200 — the  age  of  man  before  the  days 
of  the  patriarchs.  In  his  writings  are  mentioned  only  the  most 
ancient  species  of  idolatry,  the  worship  of  the  Sun  and  Moon  ; 
and  his  riches  are  reckoned  by  his  cattle.  If  he  lived  after  the 
days  of  Abraham,  and,  as  some  suppose,  as  late  as  Moses,  still 
he  appears  to  have  known  nothing  of  that  eminent  patriarch, 
or  of  the  wanderings  of  the  children  of  Israel.  His  knowledge 
of  God  was  evidently  handed  down  to  him  from  Noah  ;  but 
was  greatly  increased  by  intimate  communion  with  Heaven. — 
The  book,  which  bears  his  name,  and  gives  an  account  of  the 
wonderful  dealings  of  God  with  him,  has  been  ascribed  to  Mo- 
ses, to  Solomon,  to  Isaiah  and  Ezra,  but  it  is  evidently  the  work 
of  Job  himself  Its  style  is  sublime  and  lofty  ;  full  of  figures 
and  corresponds  to  the  genius  of  the  Arabic  language.  It  eve- 
ry where  abounds  with  religious  instruction,  and  the  noblest 
sentiments  of  piety  ;  and,  with  inimitable  majesty,  proclaims 
the  Almighty  power  and  unsearchable  wisdom  of  the  Maker 
of  the  Universe. 

With  all  his  faults,  Job  was  a  man  of  deep  humility  and  ex- 
alted piety.  Through  traditional  religion  and  the  suggestions 
and  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  he  disclaimed  all  hope  of  jus- 
tification from  his  own  righteousness  ;  placed  his  confidence  in 
the  great  Redeemer  and  looked  forward,  with  joyful  hope,  to  a 
resurrection  and  future  judgement.  Such  a  man  must  have 
been  a  light  in  the  world.  His  book  conveyed  truths  to  man- 
kind which  unassisted  reason  had  never  learned,  and  powerfully 
refuted  the  erroneous  views  which  were  fast  spreading  in  the 
earth,  of  the  moral  government  of  God-.  When  it  was  admitted 
into  the  sacred  canon  we  know  not ;  but  it  is  cited  as  inspired  by 
the  Apostles,  and  was  universally  received  as  canonical  by  the 
early  Christians. 

Among  the  Canaanites,  Abraham  lived  as  those  who  were 
well  acquainted  with  Jehovah.  He  even  there  found  a  king; 
Melchisedec,  who  ruled  his  people  in  righteousness  and  peace 
and  officiated  at  the  altar  as  priest  of  the  most  High 
God  ;  a  man  who,  on  both  these  accounts,  was  a  remarkable 
type  of  Christ.  Him,  Abraham  honored  for  his  rank  and  piety 
and  priestly  character,  and  received  as  a  distinguished  favor, 
his  blessing. 


'^Q  MELCIIISEDEC.  PERIOD  If 

Over  Gerar  in  Philistia,  reigned  Abimelech,  an  upright  man 
who  acknowledged  and  feared  Jehovah.  All  these  nations 
must  have  been  solemnly  impressed  with  the  majesty  and  holi- 
ness of  God,  in  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

The  Egyptians  early  fell  into  idolatry,  but  the  God  of  Abra- 
iiam  was  terrible  among  them.  And  in  subsequent  ages,  he 
must  have  been  extensively  known  by  the  piety  of  Joseph,  the 
religion  of  the  Hebrews,  and,  more  especially,  by  the  terrible 
plagues  upon  Pharaoh  and  the  nation,  in  the  days  of  Moses. 

It  may  be  enquired,  why,  if  there  was  so  much  knowledge  of 
the  true  God  in  the  world,  was  Abraham  called  ?  It  was  no 
doubt  in  part  perspective.  The  clouds  of  pagan  darkness  v/ere 
fast  overshadowing  the  earth.  In  a  little  time,  the  knowledge 
of  Jehovah,  of  his  name,  his  worship  and  his  laws  would  be 
banished  from  among  men,  without  some  special  provision  for 
its  preservation,  and  the  earth  would  be  in  complete  subjection 
to  the  prince  of  darkness. 


CHAPTER  ir. 

Descent  of  the  Church  in  the  line  of  Patriarchs.  Propheni 
respecting  Shiloh.  Joseph.  Residence  of  the  Church  in 
Egypt,  her  deliverance  from  bondage.  Plagues  of  Egypt. 
Institution  of  the  Passover.  Baptism  of  the  Church. 
Murmurings  of  the  Israelites.      Their  typical  journey. 

If  there  was  true  piety  elsewhere  in  the  earth,  still  we  are 
now  to  contemplate  the  church  of  God  embodied  in  the  family 
of  Abraham,  and  sealed  with  the  seal  of  circumcision.  God 
confirmed  to  Isaac  the  promises  made  to  his  father,  "  in  thy 
seed  shaJl  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  In  his 
youth,  profane  Esau  sold  his  birthriglit  for  a  trifle  to  Jacob,  his 
younger  brother  ;  tluis  m  the  freedom  and  wickedness  of  his 
own  heart,  accomplishing,  though  he  meant  not  so,  a  purpose 
of  divine  sovereignty  :  "  For  the  children,  being  not  yet  born, 
neither  having  done  any  good  or  evil,  that  the  purpose  of  God, 
according  to  election,  might  stand,  not  of  works,  but  of  him  that 
calleth  ;  It  was  said  unto  her  (Rebecca)  the  elder  shall  serve 
the  younger.*  Zealous  for  the  execution  of  the  divine  purpose 
thus  revealed  to  her  ;  revealed,  no  doubt,  that  it  might  be  accom- 


*  Romans,  is.  11. 


OlIAP.    ^•^.  LIxN'E    OF    THE    rATRIARCIIS.  37 

plished,  his  mother  craftily  diverted  the  blessing  from  Esau  to 
Jacob.  Esau,  having,  in  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  his  heart, 
cast  away  his  birthright,  was  angry  with  Jacob  and  sought  to 
kill  him  ;  so  that  Jacob  fled  into  Mesopotamia  to  his  moth- 
er's relatives.  Driven  from  his  home,  a  lone  wanderer, 
night  overtook  him  without  a  shelter  or  a  friend,  and  he  laid 
iiimself  down  in  the  open  air  with  a  stone  for  his  pillow.  But 
God  was  there.  In  a  dream,  the  youth  saw  a  ladder  standing 
on  the  earth  and  reaching  unto  heaven,  on  which  the  an- 
gels of  God  ascended  and  descended.  Above  it  stood  the  Lord 
God  who  assured  him  that  he  was  the  God  of  his  Fathers,  and 
would  give  him  and  his  seed  the  land  of  Canaan,  and 
that  in  him  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed.  In 
this  manner  did  God  exhibit  to  him  his  providence  administer- 
ed by  angels,  and  renew  the  covenant  containing  the  pre- 
cious promises.  When  Jacob  awoke,  his  soul  was  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  presence  of  God,  and  he  said,  *'  Surely  the 
Lord  is  in  this  place  and  I  knew  it  not.  How  dreadfal  is  this 
place  !  thi~  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God  !  and  this  is  the 
gate  of  Heaven."  He  erected  his  pillow  for  a  monument,  and 
sealed  himself  to  be  the  Lord's. 

Jacob  was  wortiiy  of  the  sacred  trust.  He  was  a  man  of 
prayer.  He  wrestled  with  Christ,  the  angel  of  the  covenant. 
He  vowed  unto  the  Lord  and  performed  his  oaths.  His  blessings 
and  his  trials  were  uncommonly  great ;  but  in  the  height  of 
prosperity,  while  master  of  two  bands,  he  was  meek,  and  hum- 
ble, and  grateful ;  and,  when  all  things  went  against  him,  and 
he  seemed  about  to  be  stripped  of  all  his  heart  held  dear,  he 
was  patient  and  submissive,  and  committed  himself  to  Him  who 
judgeth  righteously  in  the  earth. 

From  J  cob  descended  twelve  sons,  who,  by  a  mysterious 
providence,  were  removed,  according  to  the  revelation  of  God 
made  to  Ab'-i  ham,  to  Egypt ;  thereto  reside  in  bondage  many 
years.  Brn'ore  the  venerable  man  died,  lie  uttered  a  more  re- 
markable i Dphecy  of  Christ  than  any  the  Church  had  as  yet 
received — a  prophecy  in  which,  not  only  the  line  was  pointed 
out  in  which  Messiah  should  come,  but  the  time  of  his  appear- 
ance was  marked  with  great  precision.  "  Judah,"  said  he, 
in  blessing  his  sons,  *'  is  a  lion's  whelp  ;  from  the  prey,  my  son, 
thou  art  gone  up  ;  he  stooped  down,  he  couched  as  a  lion  ancj 
as  an  old  lion  who  shall  rouse  him  ?  The  sceptre  shall  not 
depart  from  Judah  ;  nor  a  law-giver  from  between  his  feet  until 
Shiloh  come,  and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people 
be."     In  conformity  with  this  prediction  and  promise,   Judaii 

4 


;i8  DELIVERANCE    FROM  PERIOD  II 

was  never  without  a  ruler  and  law-giver,  until  subdued  by  the 
Romans,  when  Shiloh  or  Christ  came ;  and  when  Jesus  Christ 
appeared  in  Judah,  then  departed  ruler  and  law-giver;  and 
these  have  never  since  been  known  in  her  borders, 

Jacob  was  born  in  the  year  of  the  world  2168.  He  came  in- 
to Egypt  in  2298  a  id  died  17  years  after,  being  147  years  of 
age.  When  he  came  into  Egypt,  the  visible  church  of  God 
consisted  of  70  souls. 

A  single  instance  of  humble  piety  in  that  distant  age  of  the 
world,  even  in  the  most  retired  walks  of  life,  is  refreshing  to 
the  soul.  But  we  have  exhibited  to  us  a  lovely  youth,  who,  in  the 
providence  of  God,  was  exalted  almost  to  royalty  and  became 
a  father  to  his  people  ;  who  feared  God  ;  resisted  the  most  pow- 
erful allurements  to  sin  ;  kept  his  garments  white  amid  an 
adulterous  generation,  and  stands  forth  an  illustrious  monument, 
of  the  power  of  divine  2;race.  This  was  Joseph,  the  eleventh 
son  of  Jacob.  Moved  with  envy,  his  brethren  sold  him  for  a 
slave.  But  he  became  the  deliverer  of  his  people  and  temporal 
saviour  of  the  Egyptian  nation.  His  history  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful,  pathetic,  interesting  and  instructive  tales  which  was 
ever  written,  and  remarkably  exhibits  the  overruling  providence 
of  God.  His  brethren  for  envy  s«  Id  him,  but  it  was  God  who 
carried  him  into  Egypt  for  the  execution  of  his  purposes. 

During  their  long  residence  in  Egypt,  the  chosen  people  of 
God  mutiplied  astonisliingly,  though  oppressed  by  a  most  cruel 
bondage;  but  having  no  religious  ordinances,  Sabbaths,  or  in- 
struction, they,  m  a  great  measure,  lost  the  true  religion  and 
polluted  themselves  **  with  the  idols  of  Egypt."* 

Their  bondage  was  a  lively  picture  of  the  natural  state  of  the 
true  Israel ;  who  were  bond  servants  to  sin,  and  in  bondage  to 
the  law  as  a  covenant  of  works. 

The  Church  was  suffered  to  decline,  that  the  seed  of  the 
woman  might  gain  the  more  illustrious  victory  over  the  prince 
of  darkness.  The  children  of  Israel,  having  served  an  heathen 
prince  more  than  2(10  years,  until  they  had  increased'  to  two 
millions  of  souls,  God  determined  to  bring  them  out  of  bon- 
dage, in  fulfilment  of  his  promise  to  Abraham,  with  an  high 
hand,  and  a  strong  arm,  amid  many  signs  and  wonders,  and  to 
magnify  himself  before  all  people. 

The  instrument  by  which  lie  resolved  to  effect  this  deliver- 
ance was  Moses,  the   son  of  a  Hebrew  woman,  who,  to  avoid 


Ezekiel  xx.  7. 


Chap.  2.  Egyptian  boxNdage.  39 

destruction  by  the  Eiryptians,  was  hid  by  his  mother  in  an  ark 
in  the  bulrushes,  by  the  river's  brink  ;  where  he  was  discover- 
ed by  Pharaoh's  daughter,  as  she  came  to  bathe,  and  adopted, 
by    her,   as  her   own    son.     In    the  court  of  Pharaoh,  he  was 
trained  up  in  all  the  learning  of  the  Egyptians ;  and  if  we  may 
credit  Josephus,  was  made  a  general   in  their   armies,   fought 
many  battles,   and  was   considered     heir  to   the  crown.     But 
**  by  faith  he  refused  to  be  called  tlie  son  of  Pharaoh's  daugh- 
ter ;  choosing  rather  to  suffer  a  fliction  with  the  people  of  God 
than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season  ;  esteeming  the 
reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the   treasures  of  Egypt, 
for  he  had  respect  unto  th   recomoense  of  the  reward."*  He  had 
a  holy  confidence  in  the  proniiss^sof  -Grod,  and  he  turned  his  eye 
and  heart  from  the  crown  of  Ej^ypt,  to  the  deliverance  of  his 
brethren  from  their  cruel  bondage.     Failing  in  some  premature 
efforts  to  accomphsh  tiiis,  he  fled  to  Midian,  to  Jethro,  a  priest, 
whose  daughter  he  married,  and  with  whom  he  lived  40  years. 
Here   he    might  have  remained  until  death,  had  not  Almighty 
God  spoken  to  him  out  of  the  burning  bush,  and  assured   him 
of  liis  design  to   deliver  the  Israelites  by  his  hand.     Obedient 
to  the  heavenly  command,  he  left  Jethro ;  and  taking  with  him 
Aaron  his  brother,  he  appeared  b»:ifore  Pharaoh  and  demanded  the 
release  of  the  children  of  Israel.     That  haughty  monarch  re- 
pulsed him  with    scorn.     Then  ensued  such  a  series  of  judg- 
ments as  no  nation    before  or   since  ever  knew.      Their    river 
was  turned  into  blood.     Frogs,  and  lice,  and  flies,  filled  all  their 
habitations.     Murrain   was  on  all  their  cattle.      Bods  covered 
man  and  beast.     Rain  and  hail,  mingled  with    fire,  descended 
upon  their  land.     Devouring  locusts  rested  in  all  their    coasts. 
A    supernatural    darkness,  that  might  be  felt,    overspread  the 
earth.     And  last  and  heaviest  of  all,  the  first  born    "  from  the 
first    born   of  Pharoah  that  sat  upon   the    throne    to    the  first 
born  of  the  maid    that  was  behind  the  mill"  besame,    in  one 
night,  cold  and  silent  corpses. 

The  Egyptians  were  accustomed  to  divination.  They  had 
their  diviners,  enchanters,  witches,  charmers,  wizards  and 
necromancers.  These  were  called  in  to  confront  with  Moses ; 
and,  as  they  pretended  by  their  magical  arts  o perform  the  same 
wonders,  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was  more  and  more  hardened 
against  the  Lord.  But  God  moved  on  to  the  accomplishment 
of  his  purposes.  The  Church  was  his,  and  it  must  be  redeem- 
ed from  the  iron  furnace. 


*Heb.  xi. 


40  PASSOVER.  Period  II. 

On  an  ever  memorable  night  the  Passover  was  instituted. 
It  was  then  to  be  celebrated  by  the  Israelites  as  a  token  or 
means  of  their  deliverance,  and  afterwards  as  a  memorial  of 
the  power  and  love  of  God  in  their  redemption  and  a  prefigura- 
tion  of  Christ  our  Passover.  Scarce  had  they  eaten  the  pas- 
chal lamb,  when  there  was  a  cry  made  throughout  all  the  land 
of  Egypt  ;  for  it  was  the  moment  of  the  execution  of  the  last 
and  heaviest  of  God's  judgments.  And  the  Egyptians  pressed 
them  to  depart  for  they  said,  "  we  be  all  dead  men."  And 
they  arose  and  went,  for  the  Lord  was  their  helper.  But 
no  sooner  was  their  departure  known  to  Pharaoh,  than  he 
pursued  them  with  all  his  hosts  and  overtook  them  as  they 
were  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  Red  Sea.  It  was  a  dread- 
ful moment.  The  sea  before  and  the  Egyptians  behind,  no 
chance  of  escape  appeared,  and  they  said  nato  Moses,  '*  Be- 
cause there  were  no  graves  in  the  land  of  Kgypt  hast  thou 
brought  us  here  to  die  in  the  wilderness  ?"  But  Moses  said, 
"  Stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  the  Lord."  And  he 
stretched  out  liis  hand  over  the  sea  and  the  sea  divided,  and 
the  children  of  Israel  parsed  through  on  dry  ground  ;  the 
Lord  going  before  them  in  a  pillar  of  fire  and  of  cloud.  The 
presumptuous  Egyptians  pressed  after  them  ;  but  the  Lord 
caused  the  waters  to  enclose  and  cover  them,  and  there  they 
the  sleep  of  death. 

The  exit  of  the  children  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  took  place  in 
the  2513th  year  of  the  world,  1491  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ,  430  years  from  Abraham's  comina;  into  Canaan,  and 
216  from  Jacob's  descent  into  Egypt.  Their  number  was 
about  two  millions.  It  was  an  event  typical  of  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  church  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  and  death,  and  must 
have  deeply  and  solemnly  impressed  the  surrounding  nations, 
with  the  majesty,  power,  holiness  and  wrath  of  God,  and  the 
value  he  placed  on  his  chosen  people. 

The  Apostle  Paul  remarks,*  that  all  the  Israelites  were  bap- 
tized unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  m  the  sea.  They  were  lit- 
erally so  from  the  drops  of  water  which  were  sprinkled  upon 
them  from  the  overshadowing  cloud  and  from  the  sea  which  stood 
in  heaps  beside  them  This  was  a  baptism  unto  Moses  as  a 
typical  mediator  by  which  they  were  bound  to  submit  to  that 
covenant  which  he,  as  the  minister  of  God,  was  to  reveal  to 


1  Corinthians,  10.  3. 


(JHAP.    2.  BAPTISM    OF    THE  CHURCH.  4.1 

them  ;  but  it  was  especially  a  type  of  the  later  initiating  seal 
of  the  covenant  of  grace  ; — yea,  a  type  of  the  washing  of  regen- 
eration and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus,  of  which  baptism 
is  only  the  sign. 

On  the  completion  of  this  wonderful  deliverance,  Moses  com- 
posed a  song,  which  he  and  the  chiL'ren  of  Israel  sung  unto 
the  Lord  ;  to  which  responses  were  made  by  Miriam  the  propji- 
etess,  accompanied  by  timbrels  and  dances.  No  doubt 
among  that  vast  multitude  there  were  many  sincerely  pi- 
ous people  ;  who  from  the  heart,  extolled  God  for  his  wonder- 
ful works.  There  was  the  true  church.  But  all  were  not  Is- 
rael, who  were  of  Israel.  Indeed  Uie  greater  part  of  that  gen- 
eration which  came  out  of  Egypt,  were  unsanctified  men,  and 
exceedingly  perverse.  G^d  delivered  them  from  bondage  for 
•'  his  names  sake,  and  that  he  might  make  his  power  known." 
And  if  they  united  in  the  song  of  Moses,  it  was  in  the  triumphs 
of  victory.  They  sang  his  praise,  but  his  loving  kindness  was 
soon  obliterated  from  their  minds.  Forty  years  they  wandered 
in  the  wilderness,  but  they  were  years  of  constant  murmurings 
and  rebelhons.  Before  they  crossea  the  Red  sea,  they  spake 
contemptuously  to  Moses.  And  within  three  days  after  they 
had  sung  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  they  murmured  at  the  waters 
of  Marah,  because  they  were  bitter  Then  in  a  short  period, 
they  murmured  for  bread,  looking  back  with  bitter  regret  to 
the  day  when  they  "  sat  by  the  flesh  pots  and  did  eat  bread  to 
the  full."  God  gave  them  bread  from  heaven  but  "  their  soul 
loathed  that  light  bread."  Next  they  murmured  for  flesh. 
They  were  jealous  of  the  honor  conferred  on  Moses  and  Aaron. 
They  made  them  a  molten  calf  in  imitation  of  the  Egyptian 
god  Apis,  and  were  afterwards  joined  to  Baalpeor  ;  did  eat  the 
sacrifices  of  the  dead  and  committed  abomination  with  the 
daughters  of  Moab.  Their  whole  life  was  a  continued  scene 
of  rebellion.  "  Forty  years  long,"  said  God,  "  was  I  grieved 
with  this  generation."  And  though  he  did  not  destroy  them 
utterly,  he  sometimes  caused  them  to  feel  the  power  of  his  in- 
dignation. At  one  time  three  and  twenty  thousand  were  de- 
stroyed in  a  day.  At  another,  the  Lord  sent  among  them 
fiery  flying  serpents  which  bit  them,  so  that  many  of  the  peo- 
ple died.  At  another,  three  rebellious  families  were  swallowed 
up  in  the  earth  for  their  sins  and  14,700  persons  were  suddenly 
cut  off  by  a  plague  for  murmuring  against  it.  And,  finally, 
such  was  their  perversen^ss,  that  God  sware  in  his  wrath  thjft 

4* 


42  WANDERINGS    OF   ISRAEL.  pERIOD    II 

none  save  Caleb  and  Joshua,  of  that  generation,  should  enter 
the  promised  land. 

Yet  for  their  Fathers'  sake,  God  was  kind  and  compassion- 
ate toward  them.  Oft  he  forgave  them  at  the  intercession  of 
Moses,  when  provoked  to  destroy  them.  He  went  before  them 
in  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  and  pro- 
tected them  by  the  angel  of  his  presence.  He  gave  them  day 
by  day  manna  from  heaven  and  quails  for  flesh.  He  caused 
water  to  flow  out  in  abundance  from  the  rock.  He  raised  in 
the  wilderness  a  brazen  serpent  upon  a  pole,  when  the  people 
were  bitten  by  the  fiery  flying  serpents,  that  whosoever  looked 
upon  it  should  be  healed.  He  gave  them  power  over  their  en- 
emies  and    wrought  for   them    the  most  wonderful  victories. 

"  All  these  things  happened  unto  them  for  ensamples,  and 
they  were  written  for  our  admonition  upon  whom  the  ends  of 
the  world  are  come."  Their  whole  journey  toward  the  prom- 
ised land  was  typical  of  the  journey  of  the  true  Israel  toward 
the  heavenly  Canaan.  They  were  indeed  the  true  Israel. 
The  true  church  was  among  them  ;  though  the  great  mass  of 
the  people  were  wicked  and  rebellious.  But  this  journey  was 
of  a  worldly  character  and  was  typical  of  the  spiritual  journey 
of  the  people  of  God  toward  heaven.  Were  they  brought 
through  the  depths  of  the  sea  ?  So  all  the  children  of  God 
are  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit.  Were  they  baptized  by 
sprinkling  from  the  cloud  and  the  sea  unto  Moses  ?  So  are  we 
baptized  into  Jesus  Christ,*  "  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into 
death — that  we  may  walk  in  newness  of  life."  Were  they  to 
live  by  faith,  as  to  their  daily  support,  in  the  wilderness  ?  So 
are  we.  Were  they  fed  by  manna  and  did  they  drink  of  water 
from  the  rock  ?  So  are  we  fed  by  "  that  bread  which  cometh 
down  from  heaven"  in  the  dispensation  of  the  word,  and  our 
souls  are  refreshed  from  the  fountain  of  hfe.  They  "did  all 
eat  the  same  spiritual  meat  and  did  all  drink  the  same  spiritual 
drink,  for  they  drank  of  that  spiritual  rock  that  followed  them, 
and  that  rock  was  Christ."  t  Were  they  guilty  of  much  mur- 
muring and  rebellion  ?  Did  they  disbelieve  the  promises  ?  and 
was  their  soul  discouraged  because  of  the  way  ?  It  was  but  a 
type  of  the  imperfection,  stupidity,  disbelief  and  backshding  of 
saints.  Did  the  anger  of  the  Lord  burn  against  them  and  did 
his  judgments  destroy  them  ?  We  may  behold  in  this  a  hvely 
representation  of  his  grief  and  indignation  at  the  misconduct  of 


*  Romans,  6.  3*  f  I  Corinthians,  10.  3. 


Chap.  2.  giving  of  tue  law.  4^' 

saints,  and  of  his  judgments  upon  them  ;  though  these  judg- 
ments under  the  new  dispensation  are  marked  with  far  less  se- 
verity. Did  he,  at  tlie  intercession  of  Moses,  oft  forgive  their 
sins  and  extend  to  them  his  pardoning  and  saving  mercy  ?  So, 
at  the  intercession  of  Christ,  he  pardons  the  iniquities  of  his 
people  and  will  acquit  them  in  the  judgment.  Did  Moses  lift  up 
the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  that  whoso  looked  on  it  should 
be  healed  ?  So  was  the  Son  of  man  lifted  up  that  "  whos  ever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish  but  might  have  everlasting 
life."  And  did  God,  finally,  bring  his  ancient  Israel  int  the 
land  of  promise,  through  the  waters  of  Jordan  by  his  se  vant 
Joshua  ?  So  does  He  conduct  his  saints,  through  deatl),  by 
Jesus  the  great  captain  of  their  salvation,  to  a  better  country 
which  is  the  desire  of  their  souls,  even  an  heavenly.  "  The 
ransomed  of  the  Lord  shall  come  to  Zion  with  songs  and  with 
everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads,  they  shall  obtain  joy  and  alad- 
ness,  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away." 


CHAP.  III. 

Giving  of  the  Law.  Moral  and  Ceremonial.  Sijmhol  of  the  Di- 
vine Presence.  Tabernacle.  Urim  and  Thummim.  Priest- 
hood. Re-imtitution  of  the  Sabbath.  Completion  of  the  Penta- 
teuch. Outpouring  of  the  Spirit.  Character  of  Moses.  Two 
remarkable  Prophecies  of  Christ. 

During  the  wanderings  of  the  Church  in  the  wilderness,  four 
remarkable  events  occurred  which  claim  particular  notice. — 
The  giving  of  the  Law.  'I'he  re-institution  of  the  Sabbath. 
The    completion   of    the   Pentateuch,    and  an  exten  ive 

OUTPOURING  OF  THE   HoLY  SpiRIT. 

For  2500  years  the  church  had  enjoyed  much  precious  inter- 
course with  heaven.  Christ,  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  had  ap- 
peared to  Adam,  to  Noah,  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and 
established  with  them  the  covenant  of  grace,  but  she  had  no 
written  law.  On  the  tenth  of  the  third  month  after  leaving 
Egypt,  the  Israelites  pitched  their  camp  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Sinai.  There  they  remained  a  year.  On  the  morning  of  the 
tliird  day  of  their  encampment,  the  mount  was  in  a  smoke  and 
there  were  thunders  and  lightnings  and  a  thick  cloud  upon  the 
mount,   for  the  Lord  descended  upon  it  in  fire.     Such  was  the 


/J  HEBREW   RITUAL.  PERIOD    II- 

maiesty  of  the  scene  that  the  people  trembled  and  stood  afar 
oirUd  said  unto  Moses  "  Speak  thou  with  us  and  we  will  hear  ; 
but  let  not  God  speak  with  us  lest  we  die."  And  Moses  went 
up  to  God  in  the  mount 

The  ten  Commandments  were  first  given.  To  express  their 
importance  and  perpetuity,  they  were  written,  by  the  finger  of 
God,  on  tables  of  stone  These  commandments  have  their 
foundation  in  the  nature  of  God  and  man,  and  in  the  relations 
which  men  bear  to  God  and  to  one  another.  They  contain 
the  primary  principles  of  all  law  They  are  obligatory  upon 
all  men  to  the  end  of  time. 

Next,  God  gave  to  Moses  the  political  and  ceremonial  law 
of  Israel  He  had  set  apart  this  nation  for  himself.  Its  gov- 
ernment was  to  be  a  Theocracy.  God  was  to  be  its  King. 
He  therefore  gave  his  statutes  for  the  regulation  of  the  com- 
monwealth. 

It  was  also  to  form  his  visible  church  ;  and  he  prescribed 
such  ceremonial  observances  as  would  maintain  the  know- 
ledge of  the  true  Jehovah  ;  keep  the  Jews  separate  from  the 
Heathen  ;  and,  by  hvely  types  and  shadows,  prefigure  the  gos- 
pel dispensation. 

Under  this  divine  constitution  the  Worship  of  Israel  con- 
sisted much  in  sacrifices  and  offerings  ;  in  presenting  to  God 
slain  animals  and  the  fruits  of  the  earth. 

Sacrifices  had  been  otiered  by  the  pious  from  the  promise  of 
0  Saviour.  They  were  doubtles?' of  divine  origin.  They  were 
now  reduced  to  a  regular  system.  God  prescribed  three  kinds 
for  the  Jewish  nation  ; — the  whole  burnt  offering  ;  the  sacri- 
fice, and  the  thank  offering.  The  first  was  the  most  ancient 
and  excellent.  It  was  expiatory.  The  whole  victim,  whether 
a  bullock,  a  lamb,  a  turtle  dove  or  young  pigeon,  was  burnt  ; 
and  a  libation  of  wine  was  poured  out  upon  the  altar.  The 
second  was  a  sin  offering  or  trespass  offering,  made  on  account 
of  legal  pollutions,  or  sins  of  ignorance.  The  third  was  an  ex- 
pression of  gratitude  for  mercies  received.  The  slain  animals 
were  accompanied  with  unleavened  cakes  ;  and  most  of  the  ani- 
mal, and  the  cakes  were  converted  by  the  person  oflfering,  into 
an  entertainment  for  the  poor.  All  these  sacrifices  were  so 
many  symbols,  corresponding  with  the  several  branches  of  pi- 
ety. In  the  expiatory  sacrifice,  the  offerer  came  before  God 
confessing  that  he  was  a  sinner  and  that  he  deserved  to  die,  as 
the  animal  died.  The  acceptance  of  the  sacrifice  on  the  part 
of  God,  was  a  confirmation  of  the  divine  promises  of  pardon  to 


ClIAP.    3  TABERNACLE.  45 

the  penitent.  But  this  sacrifice  was  chiefly  figurative  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  our  true  substitute  ;  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  If  any  trusted  to  a 
fancied  efficacy  in  the  sacrifices  themselves,  and  to  the  multi- 
tude of  victims,  they  drew  upon  them  the  divine  anger. 

That  the  Israelites  might  have  a  fixed  place  where  they 
should  offer  their  sacrifices,  worship,  and  receive  communica- 
tions from  heaven,  God  commanded  Moses  to  build  a  taberna- 
cle. Noah  and  the  patriarchs  had  erected  altars.  As  yet  tem- 
ples were  uniinown,  among  the  people  of  God  The  tab- 
ernacle was  a  moveable  tent,  made  of  the  most  costly  materi- 
als. Before  it  was  the  court,  150  feet  in  length,  and  75  in 
breadth,  and  enclosed  by  curtains  made  of  linen.  In  the  cen- 
tre of  the  court  stood  the  altar  for  sacrifice,  and  on  one  side 
the  laver,  with  water.  The  tabernacle  was  west  of  the  court. 
It  was  30  cubits  from  West  to  East,  and  ten  from  North  to 
South,  and  was  divided  into  two  apartments.  The  outer  was 
called  the  holy  place  ;  the  inner,  the  Holy  of  holies.  In  the 
former,  on  the  north  side,  was  the  table  of  Shew  Bread.  On 
this  were  placed  12  loaves  of  unleavened  bread,  sprinkled  over 
with  frankincense  ;  and  wine,  in  bowls.  On  the  south  side 
was  the  golden  candlestick,  in  which  seven  lamps  burned  by 
night,  and  three  by  day.  In  the  middle,  was  the  altar 
on  which  intense  was  offered  daily,  morning  and  eve- 
ning. In  the  inner  room,  from  which  was  excluded  the  light 
of  day,  was  the  ark  of  the  covenant — a  small  box  covered  with 
pure  gold.  In  this  was  deposited  the  two  tables  of  stone,  on 
which  were  written  the  ten  commandments.  The  lid  or  cover 
of  the  ark  was  called  the  mercy  seat.  On  the  ends  of  this 
seat  were  placed  two  cherubims,  with  their  faces  inclined  to- 
wards each  other,  and  towards  the  mercy  seat,  and  their  wings 
stretched  out  so  as  to  o\  ershadow  it  These  wings  formed  the 
throne  of  God,  while  the  ark  was  his  footstool.  By  the  side  of 
the  ark,  in  a  golden  vase,  was  kept  some  of  the  manna,  Aa- 
ron's rod,  and  the  books  of  Moses 

"  Here,"  said  God  to  Moses,  from  between  these  Cheru- 
bims, "  I  will  meet  with  thee  and  commune  with  thee."  Here 
was  seen  a  cloud  of  glory,  the  visible  symbol  of  Jehovah,  which 
became  bright  and  shining,  when  God  there  revealed  his 
will  by  an  audible  voice.  Such  an  emblem  of  Jehovah's  pre- 
sence, accompanied  with  frequent  communications  from  him, 
caused  the  Israehtes  to  feel  that  he  was  near  ;  gave  them  a  deep 
sense  of  the  Unity  of  the  Godhead,  and  kept  them  from  the 
worship  of  the  heavenly  luminaries. 


46  RE-INSTITUTION    OF   THE    SABBATH.  PeRIOD    11. 

Of  the  seasons  of  worship  the  first  was  the  Sabbath.  Thii- 
was  instituted  at  the  close  of  the  creation,  and  was  doubtless 
observed  by  the  pious  both  before  the  jflood  and  after,  according 
to  their  knowledge  and  opportunity.  In  the  books  of  Moses, 
such  observance  is  not  indeed  mentioned,  nor  was  there  an\ 
special  occasion  for  the  notice.  But  expressions  exist, 
implying  such  observance,  and  which  cannot  well  be 
accounted  for  without  it.  Time  was  divided  into  weeks  of 
seven  days,^  both  before  the  flood  and  after.  Probably  the 
children  of  Israel  were  made  mcessantly  to  labour  in  Egypt  ; 
but  no  sooner  were  they  released  than  they  observed  the  Sab- 
bath, before  the  promulgation  of  the  law,  as  a  day  they  felt  to 
be  holy,  t  God,  in  the  fourth  commandment,  speaks  of  the  Sab- 
bath not  in  a  way  in  which  he  would  if  instituted  for  the  first 
time,  but  as  an  old  institution,  which  they  were  required  to 
remember  an  1  keep  holy.  Phe  Sabbath  was  now  reinstituted  ' 
with  pecubar  solemnity,  and  its  observance  was  placed  in  the 
moral  code,  among  the  ten  commandments.  But  it  is  probable 
that  the  day  of  its  observance  was  changed.  For  the  day 
first  marked  out  for  the  Jewish  wSabbath  by  the  manna's  not  fal- 
ling upon  li,  was  the  twentv-second  of  the  second  month  ;  and 
counting  backward  seven  days,  we  find  the  people  performing, 
by  divine  direction,  a  long  and  wearisome  march.  The  origi- 
nal Sabbath,  consecrated  by  the  heathen  to  the  Sun,  may  have 
been  set  aside  and  that  day  made  holy  on  which  the  Jews 
came  out  of  iflgypt.  Of  that  event  the  Sabbath  now  became 
a  special  memorial.  He  who  is  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  has  a 
right  to  alter  the  day  of  its  observance.  He  did  alter  it  at  a 
subsequent  period  to  connnemorate  his  own  resurrection. 
And  if  the  Sabbath  was  then  put  back  one  day,  as  has  been 
computed  by  some  learned  men,  we  have  now  the  original  Sab- 
bath and  do  commemorate  both  the  creation  and  redemption  ot" 
man. 

As  standing  memorials  of  the  goodness  of  Jehovah  and  the 
truth  of  the  \Iosaic  religion,  three  grea»  Festivals  were  insti- 
tuted;— the  Feast  of  the  Passover,  of  Pentecost,  and  of  Taber- 
nacles. The  first  was  a  memorial  of  their  deliverance  from 
Egypt.  It  was  celebrated  for  seven  days  from  the  15th  to  the 
2ist  of  the  month  Nisan  (April.)  The  second,  called  Pente- 
cost, because  it  was  celebrated  the  fiftieth  day  from  the  Pass- 


*  Gen.  29.  "27.  her  week.    Heb.  her  seven.     Gen.  4.  7.     f  Exo- 
dus 10.  22— -30. 


Chap.  3.  urim  and  thummim.  47 

over,  was  the  feast  of  harvest  and  of  the  first  fruits,  and  was  a 
solemn  acknowledgement  of  the  divine  goodness  and  their  de- 
pendence and  obligations.  The  third  was  a  solemn  thanks- 
giving for  all  the  bounties  of  the  year,  and  a  memorial  of  the 
goodness"  of  God  to  them  when  they  dwelt  in  the  tabernacles 
in  the  wilderness.  These  festivals  were  always  celebrated  at 
Jerusalem.  All  who  could,  attended  them.  'I  hey  greatly 
promoted  social  affection  and  kept  the  people  from  intercourse 
with  foreign  nations  and  idol  festivals. 

Besides  the  worship  of  the  Sabbath  and  these  festivals,  the 
Hebrew  ritual  prescribed  the  daily  sacrifice,  offered  morning  and 
evening  for  the  whole  congregation  ;-a  religious  service  consist- 
ing of  anim  «l  and  vegetable  offerings,  on  the  appearance  of  the 
new  moon,  that  the  Israelites  might  be  kept  from  the  supersti- 
tious worship  of  that  heavenly  body  ; — an  annual  service  on  the 
commencement  of  the  seventh  month,  the  beginning  of  the  Jew- 
ish civil  year  ; — a  Sabbatical  year,  a  rest  every  seventh  year 
from  the  cultivation  of  the  earth,  which  was  also  a  year  of  unusu- 
al attention  to  reh*^ion,  and  of  the  release  of  poor  debtors  from 
their  creditors  ;  and  the  year  of  Jubilee,  which  took  place  ev- 
ery fiftieth  year,  or  after  every  seven  sabbaths  of  years.  This 
was  ushered  in  by  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  and  restored  every 
native  Israelite  to  his  original  property  and  freedom. 

To  perfect  the  Jewish  worship,  God  instituted  an  order  of 
priests.  In  the  patriarchal  ages,  the  father  of  a  family  exerci- 
sed the  priestly  office.  This  descended  to  the  first  born. 
The  whole  tribe  of  Levi  was  now  set  apart  to  attend  upon  the 
service  of  the  sanctuary.  Aaron  and  the  first  born  of  every 
generation  descending  from  him,  were  consecrated  to  the  High 
Priesthood  ;-  his  other  sons  to  be  priests.  The  rest  of  the 
Levites  performed  the  inferior  services  of  the  temple.  All 
the  priests  and  Levites  were  solemnly  consecrated  by  purifica- 
tion and  atonement,  were  maintained  by  the  nation  and  treat- 
ed with  great  respect.  The  priests  had  the  superintendence 
of  the  ceremonies  of  religion,  and  presented  the  victims  for 
sacrifice,  •  he  High  Priest  alone  appeared  before  God  on  the 
day  of  atonement  in  the  Holy  of  holies  and  consulted  the  di- 
vine oracle. 

The  dress  of  the  High  Priest  was  very  splendid.  In  his 
breast-plate  was  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  i.e.  light  and  jus- 
tice.  This  is  supposed  to  have  been  three  precious  stones, 
©none  of  which  was  written  Yes,  on  the  other  No.  The  third 
was  without  writinc.     These  stones  were  carried  in  the  lininff 


48  PENTATEUCH.  PERIOD  11 

of  the  breast-plate.  When  the  High  Priest  would  obtain  an 
answer  from  God,  he  appeared  before  the  Holy  of  holies  and, 
proposing  his  question,  took  a  stone  from  the  breast-plate.  If 
he  drew  out  the  one  with  no  inscription,  no  answer  was  to  be 
given.  Never  was  this  oracle  to  be  consulted  for  any  private 
person,  but  only  for  the  king  or  general  of  the  army. 

All  the  instructions  and  institutions  of  Moses  had  an  high 
moral  tendency.  They  led  the  children  of  Israel  to  love  the 
Lord  their  God  with  all  their  heart,  and  their  neighbour  as 
themselves,  and  trained  up  many  of  the  greatest  ornaments  of 
antiquity.  The  worship  he  pr  scribed  was  eminently  typical  of 
the  worship  of  the  New  Testament  Church  ;  and  in  the  High 
Priest  was  beautifully  shadowed  forth  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
our  great  High  Priest,  who  neither  by  the  blood  of  goats  and, 
calves,  but  by  his  own  blood,  entered  in  once  into  the  holy 
place  —into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  in  the  presence  of 
God  for  us.  During  the  abode  of  the  Church  in  the  wilder- 
ness, Moses  wrote  the  Pentateuch,  <  omprising  Genesis,  Exo- 
dus, Leviticus,  Numbers  and  Deuteronomy.  It  was  deposited 
in  the  tabernacle  and  preserved  with  the  greatest  vigilance. 
It  was  read  every  Sabbath  day  in  the  synagogue,  and  through 
at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  every  sabbatical  year.  The 
Prince  was  required  to  copy  it  and  the  people  were  command- 
ed to  teach  it  to  their  children,  and  to  wear  it  as  "  signs  on 
their  hands  and  frontlets  between  their  eyes."  It  is  the 
only  history  we  have  of  he  creation,  the  antediluvian  nations, 
the  flood,  and  the  re-settlement  of  the  earth.  Without  it  the 
first  two  thousand  years  of  our  race  would  be  entirely  hidden 
from  us.  It  was  written  in  Hebrew  in  one  continued  work,  by 
inspiration  of  God,  ai^id  was  divided  into  books,  probably  by 
Ezra  or  at  the  formation  of  the  Soptuaoint  version.* 

The  generation  that  came  out  of  Egypt,  was,  as  has  been 
remarked,  very  froward  and  perverse.  They  had  been  cor- 
rupted by  the  idols  of  Egypt.     God  was  angry  with  them  and 


*  Many  are  the  conjectures  of  the  philosophical  and  the  curious  res- 
pecting the  antiquity  of  the  art  of  vvritinj^.  Some  suppose  that  sym- 
bohcal  rcpresenlalions  were  first  used;  tiien  hierog-lyphics,  then  al- 
phabetical n  riling-.  But  perhaps  men  were  never  strangers  to  let- 
ters. Books  and  writing-s  were  common  in  the  time  of  Moses.  Writ- 
ten irenealog-ies  were  kept  in  the  days  of  the  patriarchs.  What  was 
known  before  tlio  flood  would  be  handed  down  through  Noah.  The 
Hebrew  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  the  original  lang^uag-e,  and 
the  root  of  all  other  languages. 


Chap.  3.  moses.  49 

swore  they  sliould  not  enter  the  promised  land.  Their  carca- 
ses fell  in  the  wilderness — all  but  Caleb  and  Joshua.  But  on 
their  children  he  poured  out  his  Holy  Spirit.  They  became 
eminently  devoted  to  God.  "  I  remember  thee,"  says  he,  in 
later  ages  of  the  church,  "the  kindness  of  thy  youth,  the 
love  of  thine  espousals,  when  thou  wentest  after  me  in  the 
wilderness.  Israel  was  holiness  to  the  Lord  and  the  first  fruits 
of  his  increase."  With  them  God  solemnly  renewed  his  cov- 
enant.^ They  stood  all  of  them  at  Shechem  before  the  Lord 
their  God,  the  captains  of  the  tribes,  their  elders,  their  officers, 
all  the  men  of  Israel,  their  little  ones,  their  wives  and  the 
stranger  that  was  among  them,  and  entered  into  covenant  with 
God  and  into  his  oath.  It  was  a  day  of  deep  and  awful  so- 
lemnity, a  day  of  great  glory  to  the  Church. 

Moses  was  born  in  the  2432d  year  of  the  world,  and  died  in 
the  l*20th  year  of  his  age,  "  His  eye  was  not  dim,  nor  was  his 
natural  force  abated."  The  place  of  his  death  was  mount  Pis- 
gah  ;  from  whence  he  had  a  view  of  the  promised  land,  which 
he  was  not  permitted  to  enter  because  of  transgression.  His 
sepulchre  was  miraculously  concealed  to  prevent  idolatrous 
veneration. 

God  had  endowed  him  with  wonderful  wisdom,  prudence  and 
integrity,  and  placed  him  in  a  situation  where  he  was  enabled 
to  exhibit  unparalleled  legislation  and  government.  Almost 
every  action  of  his  life  we  can  love  and  approve,  while  many 
traits  in  his  character  command  our  highest  admiration. 
Whether  we  look  at  him  leaving  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  choosing 
to  suffer  affliction  with  the  people  of  God  ;  or  at  the  burning 
bush,  sacrificing  diffidence  to  duty  ;  or  behold  him  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Pharaoh,  wielding  the  most  awful  engines  of  terror  ; 
or  at  the  Red  Sea,  dividing  the  waters  ;  or  see  him  ascending 
amid  the  thunders  of  Sinai,  to  converse  with  the  Almighty  ;  or 
trace  him  through  forty  years  of  toil  and  trial,  unmoved  by 
homage,  unawed  by  faction,  undaunted  by  danger,  unaltered  by 
distress  ; — or  contemplate  him,  the  great  historian,  poet,  ora- 
tor, law-giver,  the  wonderful  deliverer  of  his  nation,  the  great- 
est of  prophets,  who  conversed  with  God  face  to  face,  meek 
and  humble  beyond  all  men,  we  may  well  believe  that  he  was 
very  great  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh's  ser- 
vants, and  in  the  sight  of  the  people  ; — we  must  pronounce  him 


*  Deut.  29. 
5 


50  BALAAM.  Period  II. 

the  most  exalted  man  that  ever  appeared  on  this  stage  of  ac- 
tion. 

In  this  period  of  the  history  of  the  Church,  we  have  tvi'o  re- 
markable prophecies  of  Christ.  The  first  was  by  Balaam,  a  di- 
viner or  magician  of  great  renown  ;  a  wicked  man,  whom  God 
employed  for  the  benefit  of  his  people.  "  I  shall  see  him,  but 
not  now ;  I  shall  behold  him  but  not  nigh ;  there  shall  come  a 
Star  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  sceptre  shall  arise  out  of  Israel,  and 
shall  smite  the  corners  ofMoab,  and  destroy  (rule  over)  all  the 
children  of  Sheth."*  In  a  subordinate  sense,  David  may  have 
been  pointed  out  in  this  prediction,  but  it  manifestly  has  its  full  ac- 
complishment in  the  exalted  kingdom  and  spiritual  victories  of 
Christ,  who  will  destroy  the  enemies  of  the  Church,  and  gain 
dominion  from  the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  From  this 
prophecy,  a  Star  was  the  known  emblem  of  tl^e  Messiah  ;  and  it 
doubtless  pre;  ared  the  wise  men  in  the  East  to  follow  the  Star 
which  actually  appeared  at  his  birth. 

The  other  is  a  prophecy  by  Moses  ;  which,  in  a  very  partic- 
ular manner,  reveals  the  prophetic  character  of  Christ,  ''  The 
Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  Prophet  from  the  midst 
of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me  ;  unto  him  ye  shall  heark- 
en. And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  will  not  heark- 
en unto  my  words  which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name,  I  will  re- 
quire it  of  him."i  Among  all  the  eminent  prophets,  who  ap- 
peared between  Moses  and  Christ,  none  were  like  him  ;  none 
were  law-givers  to  mankind  ;  none  conversed  with  God  face  to 
face  ;  none  performed  such  signs  and  wonders  ;  but  in  these 
and  other  respects,  Christ  was  like  Moses,  though  vastly  supe- 
rior. It  is  clear  therefore,  that,  if  as  some  suppose,  Moses  here 
predicted  Joshua,  or  a  succession  of  prophets,  who  should  speak 
to  the  church  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  yet  this  prediction  had 
special  reference  to  our  blessed  Redeemer. 

Before  his  death,  also,  Moses  most  accurately  predicted|  all 
the  great  and  terrible  judgments  which  God  would,  in  after 
ages,  bring  upon  the  Jews  for  their  disobedience  ;  their  capti- 
vity by  the  Chaldrans,  a  nation  of  fierce  countenance  ;  their 
subsequent  or  present  dispersion,  when  they  should  become  "  an 
astonishment,  a  proverb,  and  a  by-word  among  all  nations"  and 
|the  calling  in  of  the  Gentiles  in  their  stead,  "  provoking  them 
fo  jealousy  by  them  which  are  not  a  people." 


-^Numbers,  24.  17.     f  Deuteronomy,  18.  15.     |  Deuteronomy,  28. 
t  Deuteronomj',  32,  21.  compared  with  Rora.  10.  19. 


Chap.  4.  joshua.  51 


CHAP.  IV. 

Entrance  of  the  Church  into  the  promised  land.  Stale  of  the 
Church  from  Joshua  to  Samuel.  Schools  of  the  /  rophets. 
Establishment  of  monarchy  in  Israel.  David.  Solomon. 
Erection  and  dedication  of  the  Temple.  Prosperous  state  of 
the  Church.     Additions  to  the  sacred  Canon. 

The  Church  passed  into  the  promised  land  through 
*the  waters  of  Jordan,  divided  by  Ahnighty  power,  A.  M.  2554. 
Its  leader  was  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  a  man  of  great  cou- 
rage and  deep  piety  ;  and,  in  t)iis  transaction,  an  eminent  type 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  Captain  of  our  salvation, 
who  conducts  the  invisible  church  into  the  Canaan  of  endless 
felicity.  But  it  was  composed  of  very  different  members  from 
those  who  came  out  of  Egypt ;  for  God  sware  in  his  wrath  that 
none  of  that  rebellious  generation,  save  Caleb  and  Joshua^ 
should  enter  the  promised  land.  The  millions  who  now  form 
ed  the  Church  were  their  children,  and  were  "holiness  to  the 
Lord." 

Having  planted  his  people  in  that  land,  which,  430  years  be- 
fore, he  had  promised  to  Abraham  for  a  possession,  God  direct- 
ed every  male  to  be  sealed  with  the  seal  of  circumcision.  This 
sacred  rite  had  been  neglected  during  their  wanderings  in  the 
wilderness.  It  was  now  imposed  on  the  whole  nation,  and  the 
Passover  was  solemnly  celebrated. 

The  Canaanites  were  an  exceedingly  wicked  people.  Their 
abominations  cried  to  heaven  for  vengeance  ;  and  God  made 
his  people  the  rod  of  his  anger.  He  gave  them  power  over  his 
enemies.  By  the  most  simple  instruments  as  well  as  by  fire  and 
sword,  they  exterminated  thousands  and  millions  and  took  pes* 
session  of  the  land. 

This  was  divided  among  them  for  an  inheritance.  Here  the 
Tabernacle  was  set  up  in  Shiloh  ;  and  the  Israelites  with  God 
for  their  king,  commenced  their  national  existence  under  the 
best  political  and  ceremonial  institutions.  But,  alas !  they 
were  surrounded  by  enemies  who  perpetually  sought  their  de- 
struction. They  retained  among  them  many  of  the  Canaan- 
ites, who  were  ''  scourges  in  their  sides,  and  thorns  in  their 
eyes,"  and  "  snares  and  traps,"  seducing  them  to  idolatry. 
They  wandered  from  God  ;  and  the  first  300  years  of  their  lijs- 
tory,  was  a  period  of  darkness  and  trouble. 

A    little  before  the  death  of  Joshua,  the  whole  Church  sol 


^'2  JUDGES.      SAMUEL.  PERIOD  II 

emnly  renewed  covenant  with  God  at  Shechem ;  which  was  a 
most  affecting  transaction.  But  after  his  departure,  the  Israel- 
ites had  no  regularly  appointed  governor,  and  appear  to  have 
acted  in  separate  tribes.  They  soon  fell  into  a  state  of  anar- 
chy and  forgetfulness  of  God,  for  which  they  were  delivered 
over,  first  to  eight  years  bondage  to  Cushan,  king  of  Mesopo- 
tamia :  and  afterwards  to  the  Moabites  ;  the  Canaanites  ;  the 
Midianites  ;  the  Ammonites  and  the  Philistines.  VV  hen  they 
were  sufficiently  chastened  and  humbled,  and  "  the  Lord  re- 
pented himself  for  his  servants,"  he  raised  up  Judges  to  deliv- 
er them  and  guide  them.  Illustrious  were  their  exploits.  God 
was  with  them  ;  and  we  behold  in  this  conflict  between  the 
Church  and  the  world  many  striking  exhibitions  of  divine  jus 
tice  and  mercy,  .^ut  this  long  period,  is  one  on  which  the  eye 
dwells  with  little  complacency.  The  people  were  ignorant, 
and  vicious.  "  The  highways  were  unoccupied,  and  the  trav- 
ellers walked  through  bypaths."  Few  prophets  were  appoint- 
ed to  guide  the  people.  *'  Every  one  did  that  which  was  right 
in  his  own  eyes."  Yet,  in  the  darkest  seasons,  Christ  had  a  seed 
to  serve  him.  In  the  characters  of  Gideon,  Barak,  Sam- 
son, and  Jepthah,*  we  have  illustrious  examples  of  faith.  En- 
lightened by  the  gospel,  we  may  see  in  them  many  imperfec- 
tions, but  theirs  was  an  holy  confidence  in  God  ;  and  they 
*'  subdued  kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promis- 
es/'   and  went  triumphant  to  the  rewards  of  heaven. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  period  the  book  of  Joshua  was  writ- 
ten by  Joshua  himself,  and  subjoined,  by  him,  to  the  law  of 
God. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that,  during  this  dark  period,  though 
idolatry  was  prevalent,  it  never  extended  to  the  demolition  of 
the  Tabernacle  ;  for  it  was  never,  as  in  later  ages,  commanded 
by  the  rulers. 

In  the  2868th  year  of  the  world,  Samuel  was  born ;  and  dedi- 
catedj  by  his  mother,  to  the  service  of  God.  He  became  a 
faithful  servant  of  Jehovah,  supreme  Judge   in  the  land,  and 


*  Infidel  writers  have  considered  the  story  of  Jepthah's  sacrificing 
his  daughter,  as  an  indelible  blot  on  the  Jewisli  religion,  and  utterly 
inconsistent  with  his  being  a  good  man.  But  for  such  a  sacrifice  the 
Jewish  religion  is  not  answerable,  for  it  did  not  warrant  it,  but  point- 
edly condemned  it.  His  vow  was  rash ;  and  if  he  acted  consistently, 
his  conscience  was  erroneous,  through  ignorance  of  the  law  of  God, 
and  too  much  intimacy  with  heathen  customs.  On  conviction  of  sin, 
he  might,  like  David,  have  become  a  true  penitent.  To  this  event 
may  be  traced  the  heathen  story  of  Iphigenia  sacrificed  by  her  father 
Agamemnon. 


Chap.  4,  school  of  the  prophets.  53 

was  eminently  endowed  with  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  He  was 
much  feared  and  respected  by  the  whole  nation,  and  was  a 
great  blessing  to  the  Church.  He  doubtless  wrote  the 
book  of  Ruth,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  first  book  which 
bears  his  name.  It  is  supposed  he  died  about  the  98th  year  of 
his  age. 

The  most  remarkabl  ^  event  in  his  life,  connected  with  the 
history  of  the  Church,  was  the  establishment  of  the  School 
of  the  prophets. 

Prophecy  or  the  power  of  foretelling  future  events,  belongs 
solely  to  God.  The  government  of  the  universe  is  in  his  hands. 
He  determines,  in  his  own  infinite  mind,  what  shall  be.  He  has 
control  of  the  volitions  and  actions  of  men  ;  and  he  only  there- 
fore can  tell  what  will  come  to  pass.  The  accomplishment  of 
prophecy  is  one  of  the  most  striking  proofs  of  the  divine  unity 
and  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament.  The  heathen  nations  have  ever  been  filled  with 
diviners,  who  have  professed  to  derive  from  their  gods,  a  know- 
ledge of  futurity  ;  and  who  have,  in  this  way,  been  the  chief  sup- 
porters of  pagan  idolatry.  But  their  whole  system  has  been  a 
system  of  lies  ; — an  abominable  imposition  upon  the  ignorance 
and  credulity  of  mankind. 

By  dreams,  by  flights  of  birds,  by  the  entrails  of  beasts,  by 
throwing  dice,  did  the  Grecian  oracles,  the  most  cunning  the 
world  ever  saw,  give  their  answers ;  and  these  were  always  so 
ambiguous,  as  to  admit  of  different  interpretations  and  save 
their  credit  if  they  failed  of  the  truth. 

We  have  seen  that  divine  revelations  were  made  to  mankind 
in  the  earliest  periods  ;  and  that,  through  Enoch,  and  Noah, 
and  Abraham,  and  Jacob,  God  was  pleased,  from  time  ta  time, 
to  foretell  future  events.  We  have  also  contemplated  Moses  as 
a  prophet,  whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to  face.  But  no  regular 
order  of  men,  bearing  the  prophetic  ofiice,  existed  in  the 
church  until  this  period.  We  now  find  schools  of  them  estab- 
lished at  Bethel,  Gilgal,  >  ajoth,  Jericho  and  Jerusalem,  and 
"  Samuel  standing  as  appointed  over  them."  In  these  schools  ^ 
of  the  prophets,  young  men  of  piety  were  collected,  who  were 
instructed  by  some  eminent  teacher  in  divine  things,  and  fitted 
for  the  high  stations  of  prophets,  as  God  should  call  theni. 
Their  dress  was  plain  and  coarse  ;  their  food,  pottage  and  herbs. 
They  were  designed  to  reprove,  rebuke  and  reform  a  stupid 
and  backsliding  nation  ;  and,  by  lively  admonitions  of  impend- 
ing judgments,  by  bold  predictions  of  future  events  to 
cause  kings,  and  priests  and  people,  to  turn  with  fasting  antf 

5* 


54  MONARCHY   IN   ISRAEL.  PERIOI>  II 

mourning  to  the  Lord.  Many  of  them  may  have  risen  no  high- 
er than  the  business  of  composing  and  singing  hymns  to  the 
divine  honour,  and  instructing  the  people  in  the  common  prin- 
ciples of  religion  ;  but  some  of  them  were  exalted,  to  the  very 
highest  rank  in  the  nation,  and  made  the  most  powerful 
princes  tremble  before  them. 

Their  predictions  were  not  confined  to  the  Jewish  nation,  but 
extended  to  the  rise  and  fall  of  all  the  great  empires  of  the 
earth,  and  constantly  directed  the  Church  to  Him  who  was  to 
redeem  her  by  his  blood  ;  overturn  all  the  kingdoms  of  men  : 
and  establish  a  spiritual  dominion,  which  should  never  be  de- 
stroyed. These  extraordinary  men  were  continued  in  the 
Church  from  the  days  of  Samuel  to  Malachi — a  period  of  about 
700  years  ;  when  the  prophetic  spirit  was  withdrawn  for  about 
too  years,  until  John  the  Baptist,  the  last  of  the  prophets  in  the 
iewish  dispensation. 

The  Israelites  having  departed  from  God,  demanded  of  Sam- 
uel a  king,  that  they  might  be  like  the  nations  around  them. 
Such  ingratitude  to  Him,  who,  for  centuries,  had  been  their 
sovereign  and  had  kindly  directed  all  their  concerns,  might 
well  have  provoked  immediate  destruction  ;  but,  for  his  prom- 
ise to  their  fathers,  he  bore  with  them  and  gave  them  Saul 
About  2923  A.  M.  the  monarch  was  publicly  crowned,  and 
God  endued  him  with  suitable  qualifications  for  government. 
But  he  soon  departed  from  the  Lord  and  shewed  himself  un- 
worthy of  his  exalted  station.  God  therefore  determined  to 
dethrone  him  and  his  family  ;  and,  since  the  Hebrews  would 
have  a  king  to  reign  over  them,  He  was  pleased  to  advance 
the  work  of  redemption  and  exalt  the  Church,  by  raising  that 
family  to  the  throne  from  which  the  Messiah,  the  promised 
seed,  should  descend.  David,  the  youngest  son,  was  selected 
and  anointed  by  Samuel  to  succeed  to  the  government,  and  be 
tlie  distinguished  ancestor  and  type  of  Christ.  God  broughi 
liim  to  the  notice  of  the  nation  ;  to  influence  and  royalty  by  a 
series  of  wonderful  providences.  He  sanctified  him  early  by 
his  Holy  Spirit  ;  endued  him  with  the  power  of  prophecy  ; 
and  brought  him  to  celebrate,  in  a  vast  variety  of  beautiful 
songs,  the  divine  character  and  government,  and  the  glorious 
scheme  of  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ. 

David  was  the  man  after  God's  own  heart.  But,  in  common 
mth  all  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  in  this  world,  he  was  far 
from  perfection.  He  sinned  in  numbering  the  people,  and 
was  guilty  of  a  gross  violation  of  the  sixth  and  seventh  com^ 
frandments.     His  sin  was  of  a  scarlet  dve  and  crimson  hue  ;--^ 


Chap.  4.  david.  55 

most  offensive  to  God,  and  injurious  to  his  own  soul,  and  has 
been  the  sport  of  thousands  of  mockers  and  scoffers  from  that 
day  to  this.  His  heart  too  was  greatly  hardened.  No  man 
dared  directly  tell  him  his  sin.  Nathan  declared  it  by  a  para- 
ble. It  came  upon  him  like  a  thunderbolt.  Out  of  his  own 
mouth  was  he  condemned.  And,  upon  conviction,  he  manifest- 
ed, as  every  child  of  God  will,  a  spirit  of  holiness.  He  did  not, 
like  a  proud  man,  resent  the  charge.  He  did  not,  even  as  a 
self-righteous  man,  plead  his  meritorious  services  for  a  balance 
to  his  evil  deeds ;  but  he  cast  himself,  in  deep  repentance,  upon 
the  mercy  of  God  for  pardon  and  life.  The  fifty-first  Psalm, 
written  on  this  occasion,  exhibits  the  deepest  penitential  feel- 
ings. 

With  this  eminent  saint,  did  God  solemnly  renew  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  ; — that  covenant  which  had  been  established  with 
Adam,  with  Noah,  with  the  patriarchs  and  with  the  Church  in 
the  wilderness  ;  and,  in  his  zeal  for  God,  David  subdued  the 
holy  city,  Zion — Jerusalem ;  bring  into  it,  with  joyful  accla- 
mation, the  Tabernacle  ;  perfect  the  national  worship,  especial 
ly  its  sacred  music,  and  gather  materials  for  a  Temple  which 
should  fill  the  earth  with  its  glory. 

His  character  can  never  be  contemplated,  but  with  admira- 
tion and  love.  His  writings  have  been  a  most  precious  inheri- 
tance to  the  Church.  Here,  Saints  have,  in  all  ages, 
read  their  own  experience.  Here,  they  have  found  their  joy, 
and  sorrows  accurately  pourtrayed,  and,  as  the  delineation 
has  passed  before  their  eyes,  their  soul  has  been  melted  and 
comforted  within  them.  Here,  in  multitudes  of  songs,  the 
character  and  offices  of  Christ,  his  glorious  work  on  earth  and 
in  heaven,  the  blessedness  of  the  Church  and  its  future  en- 
largement and  perfection  are  sweetly  sung  ; — and  the  pious 
have  been  furnished  from  that  day  to  this,  and  will  be  furnished 
from  this  to  the  latest  period  of  time,  with  the  language  and 
sentiments  of  devout  praise.  Forty  years  did  David  reign. 
He  was  a  man  of  war  and  he  subdued  all  the  nations  around 
him  ;  but  he  lived  solely  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  he  advanced 
that  glory  beyond  any  monarch  that  ever  sat  on  a  throne. 
Having  made  the  most  magnificent  preparations  for  the  nation- 
al Temple,  and  appointed  his  son  Solomon,  his  successor,  ho 
died  A.  M.  2985,  "  full  of  days,  and  riches  and  honour." 

Soon  after  Solomon's  advancement  to  the  throne,  God  ajh- 
peared  to  him  in  a  dream,  and  promised  him  wisdom  and  know- 
ledge and  riches  and  w^ealth  and  honour,  granted  to  none  of 
\]](i  kincTS  that  had   been   before  or   should  come    after   him 


56  SOLOMON.  Period  II 

He  was  accordingly  a  prince  of  great  wisdom,  splendor 
and  glory.  He  reigned  forty  years  ;  and,  while  he  walked  in 
the  steps  of  David  his  father,  he,  in  like  manner,  promoted  the 
divine  glory  ;  but  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  was  led,  by  his 
strange  wives  into  idolatry  and  brought  upon  himself  the  wrath 
of  Jehovah.  There  is  reason,  however,  to  believe  that  he  be- 
came a  penitent  before  his  death,  as  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes 
appears  to  be  the  production  of  a  mind  which  had  tasted  the 
bitterness  of  sin  and  been  reclaimed  to  duty. 

His   reign  was   chiefly  distinguished  for  the  erection  of  the 
Temple  on  which  David  had  "  set  his  affection." 

The  Tabernacle  had  remained  the  place  of  sacrifice.  For  about 
forty-six  years  it  was  kept  at  Shiloh.  During  the  reign  of  Saul 
it  was  removed  to  Nob.  In  the  time  of  Eli,  the  ark  was  taken 
from  it  and  carried  into  the  army  ;  was  captured  by  the  Philistines 
and  afterwards  sent  back  to  the  city  of  Kirjathjearim.  About 
seventy  years  after,  it  was  carried  back  to  mount  Sion  by  David. 
His  object  in  building  the  Temple,  waste  provide  for  it  a  perma- 
nent and  noble  abode.  This  building  was  probably  the  most 
magnificent  and  costly  temple  the  Avorld  had  ever  seen.  It  was 
not  so  remarkable  for  its  size,  being  but  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  length  and  one  hundred  and  five  in  breadth,* 
nor  would  it  probably  compare  with  modern  Architecture.  But 
the  costliness  of  its  materials  and  the  splendours  of  its  furniture 
almost  exceed  belief  David  and  his  princes  consecrated  to  it 
108,000  talents  of  gold  and  1,017,000  talents  of  silver.t  About 
180,000  men  were  empk)yed  in  its  formation.  It  was  erected 
on  mount  Moriah,  the  place  where  Abraham  offered  up  Isaac, 
and  was  seven  years  in  building  ;  but  every  thing  was  prepared  at 
a  distance,  so  that  the  sound  of  the  hammer  was  not  heard  upon  it. 
It  looked  towards  the  East ;  and  had  a  porch  in  front  twenty  cu- 
bits wide,  ten  deep  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  in  heighth. 
On  each  side  of  its  entrance  was  a  pillar  eighteen  cubits  high 
and  twelve  in  circumference,  adorned  with  chapiters  and  two 
hundred  pomegranates.  Beyond  this  porch  was  the  sanctuary 
or  Holy  place  ;  which  was  forty  cubits  in  length,  twenty  in 
breadth  and  thirty  in  heighth,  containing  ten  golden  candlesticks, 
ten  tables,  with  twelve  loaves  of  shew-bread  on  each,  the  gold- 


*  Prideaux.     Some  say  90  feel  by  30  and  45  in  heig-ht. 

f  A  talent  of  ^old  is  computed  at  £5475  and  a  talent  of  silver  at 
£342.  3.  9.  If  this  be  a  correct  computation,  it  was  indeed  an  immense 
sum. 


Chap.  4.  the  temple,  57 

en  altar  of  incense,  the  silver  trumpets,  the  standards  of  weight 
and  measure,  and  the  sacred  treasures.  Beyond  this,  in  the 
west  end  of  the  temple  and  separated  from  the  Holy  place 
by  a  fine  veil  and  a  two  leaved  door  of  olive  tree,  was  the  Ora- 
cle or  Holy  of  holies  into  which  only  the  High  priest  might  enter 
on  the  day  of  atonement.  This  was  twenty  cubits  square  and 
contained  the  ark  with  its  furniture.  Solomon  made  two  new 
cherubims  of  olive  tree,  which  overshadowed  the  mercy  seat 
and  reached  to  the  sides  of  the  house.  This  Holy  of  holies  had 
no  windows  and  was  always  dark.  The  walls  of  the  temple 
were  of  fine  cedar  and  polished  marble.  On  the  inside  were 
carved  figures  of  palm  trees  and  cherubims,  and  every  part 
within  and  without  was  overlaid  with  pure  gold. 

In  front  of  the  Temple  was  the  court  for  the  priests  and  Levites. 
It  was  surrounded  by  a  low  wall  of  about  four  feet  in  height  and 
contamed  t:  e  brazen  altar  twenty  cubits  long,  twenty  broad  and 
ten  high  ;  and  the  brazen  sea  and  lavers.  Beyond  this  was  the 
outer  court  surrounding  the  whole  and  enclosed  by  a  high  wall, 
into  which  every  clean  Hebrew  and  proselyte  of  the  covenant 
might  enter,  and  see,  over  the  low  wall,  the  operations  of  the 
priests  on  the  altar. 

When  the  building  w^as  finished,  the  ark  and  golden  utensils 
were  placed  in  it ;  and  the  Shechinah  or  cloud  of  glory  enter- 
ed it,  to  take  up  its  abode  between  the  Cherubims.  It  was  then 
dedicated  by  Solomon,  in  presence  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  to 
Almighty  God,  in  a  prayer  which,  for  comprehensiveness,  so- 
lemnity and  trur  devotion,  has  rarely  been  surpassed  ; — by  sev- 
en days  feasting,  and  by  a  peace  offering  of  20,000  oxen,  and 
120,000  sheep,  which  was  consumed  by  fire  from  heaven.  It 
then  became  the  regular  place  for  the  worship  of  God  ;  which 
consisted  of  sacrifices,  songs  and  prayer. 

The  dedication  of  the  Temple  took  place  3000  years  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  and  1004  years  before  the  birth  ol' 
Christ. 

This  building  was  a  beautiful  type  of  the  body  of  Christ,  in 
which  dwelt  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  ; — of  the  gospel  Church 
reared  up  with  lively  stones,  and  the  residence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ; — of  the  heavenly  wojld,  the  literal  Holy  of  holies,  where 
our.  great  High  Priest  appears  for  us  before  the  eternal  majesty, 
and  where  God  is  worshipped  by  an  innumerable  company  of 
angels  and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.  John  saw  no 
temple  m  heaven,  for  the  Lord  God  and  the  Lamb  are  he  Tem- 
ple thereof. 

The  promises  of  earthly  prosperity  made  by  God  to  Abraham, 


58  CHURCH    GLORIOUS.  PeRIOD  II. 

were  all,  in  this  period,  fulfilled.  His  seed  possessed  in  quiet- 
ness and  peace,  the  promised  land.  They  had  multiplied  as  | 
the  stars  of  heaven.  They  enjoyed  great  plenty.  Every 
man  sat  under  his  own  vine  and  fig-tree.  Their  fame  went 
abroad  among  all  nations  ;  God  was  their  God  ;  a  wall  of  fire 
roundabout  them,  and  a  glory  in  the  midst  of  them  ;  and  they, 
in  regular  observance  of  his  statutes  and  ordinances,  were  his 
people. 

Their  state  was  eminently  typical  of  the  blessed  state  of  the 
Church,  when  Christ  shall  reign  from  the  river  to  the  ends  of 
the  earih  ;  yea,  of  that  exalted  state,  when,  the  judgment  being 
past,  God  shall  bestow  upon  her  tlie  eternal  blessings  of  his  cov- 
enant in  heaver). 

It  has  already  been  remarked,   that  the  book  of  Ruth,  and 
part  of  the  first  book  of  Samuel,  were  probably  written  by  that 
head  of  the  school  cf  the  prophets.     The  remainder  of  the  first, 
and  the  whole  of  the  second  of  Samuel,  are  supposed  by  writers 
of  considerable  authority,  to  be  ihe  work  of  Kathan  the  proph- 
et, and  of  Gad  the  Seer.     The  next  book  which  was  added  to 
the  Sacred  canon,  comprised  the  Psalms  of  David.     This  book    « 
was  not,  origmally,  as  it  now  appears.     Some    hymns  in   this   j|i 
collection,  particularly  the  ninetieth,  are  supposed  to  have  been    ^ 
written  by  Moses.     Some,  particularly  the  137th  by  '  zra,  dur- 
ing the  captivity.     And  some  by  Asaph,  Jeduthun  and  Ethan. 
The  name  of  David  is  prefixed  to  seventy-three.     It  is  generally 
thought,  that  Ezra  collected  the  whole  of  these  sacred  songs, 
and  placed  them  in  their  present  order 

In  this  flourishing  age  of  the  church,  the  people  of  God  also 
received  for  their  guide  and  consolation,  the  book  of  Proverbs, 
of  Ecclesiastes,  and  the  Song  of  Solomon, 

The  first  is  written  after  the  manner  of  the  wise  men  of  anti- 
(juity,  who  chose  to  compress  their  instructions  into  short  sen- 
tences, which  are  easily  circulated  and  long  retained.  It  con- 
tains chiefly  the  maxims  of  Solomon  ; — a  prince  who  was  ex- 
tensively acquainted  with  the  vices  and  follies  and  best  interests 
of  men  ;  and  who  was  divinely  inspired  to  give  us  rules  for  con- 
duct in  every  rank  and  condition  of  life.  They  are  so  beauti- 
ful, and  so  useful,  that  no  man  of  taste,  can  fail  of  receiving 
pleasure  in  their  perusal,  an  i  every  youth  maybe  made  wiser 
and  better  for  them  all  the  days  of  his  life. 

The  second  was  also  the  production  of  Solomon  ;  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  written  in  the  decline  of  life,  after  he  had 
been  seduced  to  idolatry,  and  brought  to  repentance.  It  is 
viewed  by  many,  as  a  dialogue  between  an  infidel  and  a  man  o{" 


Chap.  5.  religious  declension.  59 

piety  ;  where  the  former  advances  the  loosest  Sadducean 
philosophy,  to  which  the  latter  replies  with  the  greatest  keen- 
ness and  severity.  But  if  we  choose  not  to  adopt  this  opinion, 
we  must  consider  the  wise  man  as  sometimes  using  the  language 
of  unbelief  ironically,  for  the  purpose  of  exposing  its  odious 
character. 

The  Song  of  Solomon,  is  a  dramatic  poem  of  the  pastoral 
kind.  It  was  written  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  and  is  the  most 
figurative  part  of  Scripture.  In  describing  a  ceremonial  ap- 
pointment, he  presents  to  view  a  spiritual  concern,  which  that 
very  appointment  is  often  used  in  the  Scriptures  to  symbolize  ; 
and  if  this  spiritual  allegory  has  been  used  by  the  irreverent 
with  unbecoming  levity,  the  pious  mind  will  clearly  discover, 
through  the  types  of  Solomon  and  his  bride,  the  union  between 
Christ  and  his  Church  pourtrayed  in  a  very  lovely  and  engaging 
manner. 

These  three  books  are  all  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  pleased  to 
preserve  for  the  edification  of  the  Church,  of  the  works  of  the 
Man  who  spake  three  thousand  proverbs  ;  whose  ''  songs  were  a 
thousand  and  five ;"  who  spake  of  trees  from  the  cedar  that  is 
in  Lebanon,  even  to  the  hyssop  that  springeth  out  of  the  wall ;'" 
who  "  spake  also  of  beasts,  and  of  fowls,  and  of  creeping 
things,  and  of  fishes  ;"  and  they  are  probably  all  that  would  be 
eminently  useful  in  rearing  this  great  moral  edifice. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Declension  of  religion  in  the  Jeivish  nation.  God's  judgment.^ 
for  it.  Precious  seasons  to  the  church  of  God  in  the  days  oj 
Hezekiah  andJosiah.     History  of  the  Prophets. 

Great  outward  prosperity  has  ever  been  destructive  to  the 
interests  of  religion.  The  power,  wealth  and  splendour  of  the 
Hebrew  monarchy  in  the  days  of  Solomon,  both  corrupted  him 
and  the  nation.  Soon  after  his  death,  Jeroboam  came 
among  the  people  ; — a  fit  instrument,  in  the  hand  of 'the  prince 
of  the  power  of  the  air,  for  demoralizing  and  destroying  them. 
Ten  tribes  revolted  under  his  treacherous  dealings,  from  God, 
975  years  before  Christ,  and  all  Israel  and  Judah  went  after  the 
calves  of  Dan  and  Bethel,  and  the  god  Baalj  and  forgot  the  God 
of  their  fathers. 


GO  JUDGMENTS  OF    IIEAVE.V.  PeRIOD  IL 

During  the  three  hundred  years  which  succeeded  this  revolt, 
scenes  were  transacted  both  in  Israel  and  Judah,  which  scarce 
find  a  parallel  among  heathen  nations.  The  house  of  God  was 
converted  into  an  idolatrous  temple  ,  altars  were  created  for 
Baal,  the  great  idol  of  the  Phenicians  ;  children  were  made  to 
pass  through  the  fire  to  Moloch  ;  witchcraft,  enchantments  and 
other  profanations  \vere  practised,  to  the  corruption  of  the  true 
religion,  and  the  promotion  of  all  manner  of  wickedness  ;  and 
prophets  and  righteous  men  "  were  stoned,  were  sawn  asunder, 
were  tempted,  wore  slain  with  the  sword  ;  wandered  about  in 
sheep-skins  and  goat-skins  ;  being  destitute,  afflicted,  torment- 
ed." 

In  the  fierceness  of  his  anger,  God  inflicted  upon  them  those 
judgments  which  Moses  threatened,  if  they  forsook  him. 
In  the  year  722  B.  C.  Salmanezer,  a  king  of  Assyria,  invaded 
Samaria,  the  capital  of  the  ten  tribes,  and,  after  three  years 
siege,  took  it  and  destroyed  the  kingdom  ;  carried  the  greater 
part  of  the  inhabitants  into  captivity,  and  dispersed  them 
throughout  Assyria.  And  after  the  lapse  of  a  little  more  than 
a  century,  in  the  year  588,  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon, 
invaded  Jerusalem  ;  destroyed  the  city  and  Temple  ;*  took  all 
the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  of  the  king's  house  ; 
the  king,  and  princes,  and,  chief  men,  and  artists,  and  carried 
them  to  Babylon.  These  kings  were  but  the  saw,  the  axe,  the 
rod  and  the  staff,  in  God's  hands,  to  punish  his  people.  They  di 
it  in  the  pride  of  their  hearts  ;  not  knowing  that  they  executed 
the  divine  decree.  The  happy  land,  which  four  hundred  years 
before,  was  the  seat  of  piety  and  great  worldly  prosperity,  was 
now  laid  waste  ;  stripped  of  its  inhabitants,  and  reduced  to  iron 
bondage. 

But  in  looking  back  over  that  dark  period,  in  which  iniquity 


*The  temple  remaiDsd  but  a  little  period  in  its  original  g"lory.  A- 
bout  34  years  after  its  dedication,  Shishak  carried  off  its  g-olden  treas- 
ures. 1  King's  14,  25.  It  went  fast  to  decay  under  Jehoram,  4haziah, 
and  Athaliah.  Soon  after  Joasli  robbed  it  to  satisfy  the  demands  of 
Ilazael.  And  after  him,  Ahaz  g-ave  its  treasures  to  Tiglath  Pilesor; 
removed  the  brazen  altar  ;  took  the  brazen  sea  from  off  the  oxen,  and 
the  brazen  lavers  from  their  pedestals,  and  placed  them  on  the  ground, 
and  brake  many  of  the  sacred  vessels,  and  shut  up  the  temple.  Hez- 
ekiah  repaired  it,  but  he  was  oblig-ed  to  rob  it  of  much  of  its  wealth 
for  Sennacherib.  Manas=:ah  reared  altars  to  the  hosts  of  heaven  in  its 
courts.  Josiah  purg-ed  the  temple,  and  replaced  the  ark  of  God  ;  but 
before  its  final  destruction,  it  was  much  marred  ;  yea.  scarce  bore  any 
marks  of  its  original  magnificence.. 


Chap.  5.  precious  seasons.  61 

abounded  in  the  Jewish  nation,  we  find  the  spiritual  Church 
was  not  destroyed.  God  remembered  his  promise.  A  holy 
seed  was  preserved.  Even  in  the  days  of  EHjah  the  prophet, 
when  the  persecutions  were  so  violent,  that  scarce  any  were 
seen  avowing  themselves  on  the  Lord's  side,  and  Elijah  thought 
he  was  alone,  God  had  7000  secret  ones  who  had  not  bowed  the 
knee  in  idol  worship.  Some  peculiarly  precious  seasons,  the 
church  was  permitted  to  enjoy.  Many  of  the  kings  of  Jiidah, 
were  friendly  to  the  true  religion,  upheld  the  Temple  worship, 
and  protected  the  prophets.  Rich  consolations  had  the  Church 
in  the  days  of  Hezekiah.  His  reign  began  about  731  B.  C. 
and  continued  twenty-nine  years.  He  made  David  his  pattern, 
and  trusted  in  God  with  all  his  heart.  He  destroyed  idolatry 
throughout  his  dominions.  He  called  together  all  the  priests 
and  Levites,  opened  the  house  of  God  which  his  Father  had 
impiously  shut  up,  and  restored  divine  worship.  He  caus- 
ed his  people  to  keep  the  Passover  and  invited  the  ten 
tribes,  who  had,  for  a  very  long  period  neglected  it,  to  unite 
with  them.  He  kept  skilful  scribes  to  write  out  copies  of  the 
holy  scriptures.  He  was  a  man  of  prayer,  and  his  fervent  sup- 
plications availed  to  his  recovery  from  dangerous  sickness. 
His  reign  was  truly  precious  and  joyful  to  the  people  of  God. 

Another  season  of  rest  and  consolation,  the  Church  enjoyed, 
about  a  century  after,  in  the  days  of  Josiah.  In  the  interim 
between  these  excellent  monarchs,  the  throne  of  Judah  had 
been  filled  by  a  monster  in  wickedness.  Manasseh  reigned 
fifty-five  years,  and  bent  the  whole  energy  of  his  government  to 
the  restoration  of  idolatry,  and  destruction  of  the  knowledge 
and  worship  of  God.  He  was  the  most  impious  man  that  ever 
reigned  in  Israel  or  Judah.  When  therefore  Josiah  came  to 
the  throne,  religion  was  in  Judah,  at  its  lowest  ebb.  This  is 
strikingly  shewn  in  the  fact,  that  when  he  was  repairing  the 
Temple,  the  workmen  accidentally  found  among  the  rubbish, 
the  law  of  God  which  was  lost ;  or  rather,  had  been  thus  pro- 
videntially preserved  from  the  hands  of  wicked  Manasseh.  It 
was  read  to  the  king;  and  when  he  heard  the  curses  which  were 
denounced  against  the  Jews  for  not  keeping  it,  and  which  had 
already  been  executed  on  the  ten  tribes,  he  wept  and  rent  his 
clothes. 

This  pious  prince  went  through  the  land,  and  thoroughly 
rooted  out  idolatry.  He  assembled  the  whole  nation  together 
at  Jerusalem,  and  caused  them  to  hear  the  law  of  God,  and 
entered  with  them  into  a  solemn  covenant  with  Jehovah.  He 
also  caused  them  to  keep  the  passovqr  with  a  degree  of  solem- 

6 


02  TROPHETg.  Period  IL 

nity  which  had  never  been  known  from  the  days  of  Samuel  to 
that  time.  He  made  the  people  acquainted  with  the  law  of 
God,  and  caused  them  to  walk  in  his  statutes.  He  was  a  pre- 
cious man  of  God.  His  heart  was  tender,  and  he  humbled  him- 
self before  God  and  met  the  divine  acceptance.  He  was  truly 
a  nursing  father  to  the  Church. 

During  this  dark  period  also,  the  Church  was  supported  by  a 
succession  of  eminent  prophets  ;  who  boldly  reproved  the  na^ 
tion  for  their  vices ;  revealed  the  purposes  of  Jehovah  and  con- 
tinually pointed  the  righteous  to  their  great  Redeemer. 

In  the  reigns  of  Ahab,  Jehoram  and  Jehosaphat,  lived  Eli- 
jah and  Elisha.  They  were  successively  heads  of  the  schools 
of  the  prophets  ;  were  men  of  great  holiness  and  boldness,  and 
denounced  terrible  judgments  against  injustice  and  idolatry  in 
Judah  and  Israel.  The  former  gained  a  signal  triumph  over 
the  prophets  of  Baal  and  the  prophets  of  the  grove.  He  assem- 
bled 450  of  the  one,  and  400  of  the  other  on  mount  Carmel,  that 
the  people  might  have  a  fair  trial  whether  Jehovah  or  Baal  was 
God.  Sacrifices  were  then  prepared  and  the  issue  was  to  rest 
upon  the  descent  of  fire  from  heaven.  In  vain  did  the  false 
prophets  call  upon  their  gods.  But  no  sooner  did  Elijah  invoke 
Jehovah,  than  fire  came  down  from  heaven  and  consumed  his 
sacrifice.  The  people,  beholding  the  miracle,  cried  out,  '*  The 
Lord  is  God  ;"  and,  at  the  command  of  Elijah,  slew  all  the 
prophets  of  the  grove  and  of  Baal.  His  life  was  often  exposed, 
but  God  miraculously  preserved  it,  and  enabled  him  to  gain 
many  triumphs  over  his  enemies.  The  last  miracle  he  perfor- 
med was,  dividing  the  waters  of  Jordan,  that  he  and  Elisha  and 
fifty  young  prophets  might  pass  over.  Immediately  there  ap- 
peared a  chariot  of  horses  and  fire  ;  and  Elijah,  entering  the 
chariot,  was  carried  in  a  whirhvind,  into  heaven.  Elisha  cried 
after  him  "  My  Father,  my  Father,  the  chariot  of  Israel  and 
horsemen  thereof,^'  the  strength  and  protection  of  my  country. 
He  was  the  type  of  John  the  Baptist.  So  distinguished  and 
eminent  was  this  man,  that  750  years  after,  he  with  Moses,  ap- 
peared and  conversed  with  the  Saviour  in  his  transfiguration. 

Qn  Elisha  fell^the  mantle  of  Elijah  as  he  ascended.  With 
this  he  divided  the  waters  of  Jordan  and  returned  to  Jericho. 
He  performed  many  miracles,  and  possessed  a  far  larger  share 
of  spiritual  influence  than  any  other  man  of  his  time.  By 
some  young  men  of  a  certain  city  which  was  given  to  idolatry,  he 
was  mocked  and  reviled  and  told  '*  to  go  up,"  *'  go  up"  like  Elijah 
if  he  could  ;  towards  whom  God,  in  vindication  of  his  servant, 
came  forth  in  wrath,  and,  by  wild  beasts,  destroyed   them  all. 


CiiAP.  5.  PROPHETS.  63 

Sometime  after  his  death,  a  dead  body  being  thrown  into  his  sep- 
ulchre, revived  as  soon  as  it  touched  his  bones.  Neither  of 
these  men  wrote  any  prophecy  or  history  for  the  future  instruc- 
tion of  the  Church.  The  distinguished  prophets  who  succeed- 
ed, wrote  un.'er  inspiration  of  God  ;  and  their  prophecies  form 
parts  of  the  sacred  canon. 

Jonah,  the  first  in  the  order  of  time,  was  commissioned  to 
warn  Nineveh,  a  heathen  city,  of  destruction  ;  and  call  its  m- 
habitants  to  repentance.  That  he  might  be  chastened  for  dis- 
obedience and  also  be  a  symbol  of  Christ,  who  was  to  be  en- 
tombed three  days  and  nights  in  the  grave,  he  was  swallow- 
ed up  and  retained  for  this  period  by  a  great  fish.  His  warn- 
ings produced  the  desired  effect.  The  Ninevites  turned  to 
the  Lord  with  weeping,  fasting,  and  mourning,  and  the 
judgment  was  averted 

Amos,  the  next,  was  a  herdsman.  He  was  not  of  the  schools 
of  the  prophets.  He  predicted  the  captivity  and  destruction  of 
Israel,  the  restoration  of  the  kingdom  of  David,  and  the  bless- 
ed reign  of  the  Prince  of  Peace.  His  images  are  drawn  from 
the  scenes  of  nature. 

Hosea  resided  chiefly  in  Samaria.  He  prophesied  sixty-six 
years.  His  book  is  a  continued  strain  of  invective  against 
the  sins  of  Israel.  He  foretold  their  captivity  and  distress  ;  the 
reception  of  the  Gentiles  into  the  Church  ;  the  present  state 
of  the  Jews  ;  their  future  restoration ;  the  coming  of  the 
Saviour  and  the  final  judgment.  He  also  denounced  some 
judgments  against  the  Gentile  nations.  His  style  is  beautiful 
and  his  writings  are  powerful. 

Isaiah  was  of  the  seed  royal.  Tradition  reports  that  he  was 
sawn  asunder  in  the  reign  of  Manasseh.  He  was  the  brightest 
luminary  of  the  Jewish  Church.  So  clearly  does  he  describe 
the  Messiah  and  his  kingdom,  that  he  is  often  emphatically 
styled  the  evangelical  Prophet,  In  early  life  he  was  blessed 
with  a  remarkable  vision  of  Jehovah  sitting  in  glory  and  wor- 
shipped by  the  Seraphim.  It  was,  we  are  told  by  John*,  a 
vision  of  Christ,  and  is  an  incontrovertible  proof  of  his  real  di- 
vinity. The  view  caused  the  prophet  to  lie  low  in  the  dust 
and  bewail  his  own  sinfulness  ;  but  a  seraph  touched  his  lips 
with  a  live  coal  from  the  altar,  and  intimated  that  his  sin  was 
purged.  Immediately  he  received  a  commission  to  declare  the 
judgments  of  the  Lord.  He  prophecied  about  60  years,  com- 
mencing at  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  and  was  an  emi- 


John  xii.  41 


64  PROPHETS.  Period  II 

nent  counsellor  of  some  of  the  kings.  The  first  part  of  his 
book  consists  chiefly  of  declarations  of  sins  and  threatenings 
of  judgments  ;  then  follows  predictions  of  judgments  on  vari- 
ous  nations  ;  a  little  plain  history  and  the  most  precious  promi- 
ses to  the  Church — promises  of  the  redemption  and  glorious 
kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  of  the  double  restoration  of  the  Jews 
and  the  blessed  millennium.  His  style  is  a  perfect  model  of 
the  sublime.     He  stands  to  this  day,  unrivalled  in  eloquence. 

Micah  was  cotemporary  with  Isaiah,  and  has  much  of  his 
style  and  spirit.  He  exclaims  against  the  wickedness  of  the 
ten  tribes ;  foretells  the  Assyrian  invasion  and  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  ;  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  captivity  ;  the  birth 
of  Christ  at  Bethlehem  Ephratah,  and  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  the  Christian  Church. 

Nahum  appears  to  have  prophesied  just  as  Sennacherib  was 
returning  from  Egypt,  with  the  intention  of  destroying  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and,  with  great  fire  and  spirit,  he  utters  an  illustrious  pro- 
phecy against  Nineveh,  which  was  fulfilled  in  a  little  more  than 
a  century  after  its  delivery. 

Zephaniah  was  of  royal  extract  and  lived  in  the  time  of  king 
Josiah.  In  terms  wonderfully  descriptive,  he  denounces  ven- 
geance against  the  wicked  Jews ;  the  Philistines  ;  the  Moab- 
ites ;  Ammonites ;  Ethiopians  and  Assyrians  ;  and  promises  a 
final  restoration  to  the  captive  people  of  God. 

Joel  takes  no  notice  of  the  ten  tribes,  but  confines  himself  to 
Judah,  and  may  therefore  be  supposed  to  have  lived  after  the 
first  captivity.  He  predicts  a  fearful  famine  and  directs  to  re- 
pentance, fasting  and  prayer  as  the  means  of  deliverance.  His 
most  remarkable  prophecy  is  of  the  general  out-pouring  of  the 
Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

Jeremiah  was  devoted  to  the  prophetic  office  before  his  birth. 
When  first  commissioned,  he  prayed  to  be  excused  because  of 
his  youth.  But  God  bade  him  go  forward  and  fear  nothing,  for 
he  would  be  with  him  and  make  him  as  a  brazen  wall  against 
his  enemies.  He  began  to  prophesy  in  the  thirteenth  year  of 
Josiah,  and  prophesied  forty  years.  For  his  boldness  in  reprov- 
ing vice  and  predicting  judgments,  he  suffered  the  most  cruel 
persecutions,  and  is  said,  by  Jerom,  to  have  been  stoned  to 
death.  His  prophecies  are  of  a  very  distinguished  and  illustri- 
ous character.  They  relate  chiefly  to  the  captivity,  the  precise 
time  of  its  duration,  and  the  downfal  of  the  neighbouring  na- 
tions. Some  of  them  extend  through  remote  ages.  His  style 
is  less  lofty  than  that  of  Isaiah,  but  breathes  a  tenderness  of 
spirit  which  deeply  interests  the  affections  of  the  reader. 


Chap.  o.  prophets.  Co 

Besides  his  prophecies,  he  wrote  the  book  of  Lamentations,  in 
which  he  bewails  the  desolations  of  Jerusalem,  with  wonderful 
tenderness.  ''  Every  letter  seems  written  with  a  tear,  every 
word  is  the  sound  of  a  breaking  heart."  But  whether  it  is  a 
prophecy  of  future  events  or  a  description  of  scenes  then  pres- 
ent, is  not  easily  determined. 

About  the  same  period,  Obadiah  predicted  the  destruction  of 
the  enemies  of  Judah  and  the  restoration  of  the  Jews.  His 
work  is  short,  but  has  much  beauty. 

Habakkuk  was  the  last  who  began  to  prophecy  before  the  cap- 
tivity. His  style  is  poetical  and  beauiiful.  His  description  of 
God's  descent  from  Teman,  far  surpasses  in  sublimity  any  des- 
cription ever  given  of  any  heathen  god  He  predicts  the  down- 
fal  of  the  enemies  of  the  Church  and  pleads  with  God  for  her 
deliverance. 

These  and  other  prophets  who  succeeded  them,  were  instruct- 
ed in  future  events  by  dreams  and  visions,  by  audible  words  and 
immediate  inspiration.  The  holiness  of  their  doctrines,  their 
miracles  and  the  accomplishment  of  their  predictions,  afforded 
indisputable  proof  that  they  were  taught  of  God. 

They  published  their  predictions  by  uttering  them  loud  in 
public  places ;  by  posting  them  on  the  gates  of  the  temple  where 
they  might  be  read ;  and,  sometimes,  by  highly  expressive  ac- 
tions. Isaiah  walked  naked*  and  bare-foot,  Jeremiah  broke 
the  potter's  vessel  and  Ezekiel  publicly  removed  his  household 
goods  from  the  city,  to  express  correspondent  calamities  which 
were  about  to  descend  upon  the  enemies  of  Jehovah.  Some- 
times also,  they  taught  by  revealing  transactions  seen  in  visions, 
which  could  not  have  well  been  submitted  to  in  reality  ;  thus 
conveying  instruction,  with  great  force. 

Many  of  their  predictions  had  a  double  meaning.  They  re- 
lated first  to  some  event  which  would  shortly  occur,  but  chiefly 
to  one  of  which  that  was  only  the  type  and  which  was  far  dis- 
tant. Different  predictions  therefore,  such  as  those  of  the  first 
and  second  dispersion,  of  the  first  and  second  restoration,  of 
the  first  and  second  coming  of  Christ  were  mingled  in  one  ;  a 
vast  period  was  often  embraced  in  one  prophecy,  and  what  a 
cursory  reader  would  suppose  to  belong  to  a  particular  people  in 
a  particular  age,  often  embraced  vast  portions  of  the  human  fa^ 
mily,  through  many  successive  generations. 


*  He  laid  aside  his  royal  and  priestly  vestments  to  shew  that  Ihe  go- 
vernment and  priesthood  would  be  overthrown.  This  gives  no  war- 
rant to  those  who  appear  in  a  state  of  perfect  nudity  as  a  sign. 

6^ 


m 


PROPHETS. 


Period  II 


Their  style  was  highly  figurative,  bold  and  magnificent.  They 
drew  their  imagery  from  the  luminaries  of  heaven,  from  the  o- 
cean,  the  mountain,  the  storm,  from  their  native  scenery,  from 
their  temple  worship  and  the  idolatrous  rites  of  the  heathen  ;  and 
if  sometimes  it  partook  of  an  indelicate  cast  it  was  because  ot 
the  taste  of  the  age,  or  because  they  would  more  indignantly 
express  the  divine  abhorrence  of  the  sins  of  the  people. 

Their  predictions  were  necessarily  obscure,  that  they  might 
not  control  human  freedom  and  appear  to  produce  their  own  ac- 
complishment. But  so  numerous  and  express  were  they  res- 
pecting the  advent  of  Christ,  as  to  produce  about  the  time  of  his 
birth,  both  among  Jews  and  Gentiles,  a  very  general  expectation 
of  the  appearance  of  some  illustrious  personage. 

"  The  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy,"  and  he 
who  can  contemplate  that  spirit  operating  through  four  thousand 
years  and  be  an  infidel,  would  not  be  persuaded  though  one  rose 
from  the  dead. 


TABLE  of  the  Prophets  wJio  prophesied  before  the  Captivity. 

BEFORE  CHRIST. 

KINGS  OF  JUDAII. 

KINGS  OF  IS- 
RAEL. 

Elijah, 

From  912  to  896 

Jehosaphat. 

Ahab. 

Elisha, 

906  to  839 

Jehoram,  Jehoash. 

Jehoram, 
Jehu. 

Jonah, 

856  to  784 

Jehoash. 

Jehu  andJe- 
hoahaz. 

Amos, 

810  to  785 

Azariah. 

Jeroboam  2d 

Hosea, 

810  to  725 

Azariah. 

Jeroboam 2d 

Isaiah, 

760  to  698 

Uzziah,  Jotham,  A- 
haz,  Hezekiah,  & 
Manasseh. 

Pekah,  Ho- 
shea. 

Micah, 

750  to  710 

Jotham,  Ahaz   and 
Hezekiah. 

Hoshea. 

Natium, 

720  to  700 

Hezekiah. 

Zephaniah 

650  to  610 

Josiah. 

Joel, 

640  to  610 

Josiah. 

Jeremiah, 

629  to  588 

Josiah,  Jehoiakim. 

Obadiah, 

607  to  580 

Jehoiakim. 

Habakkuk 

1            612  to  595 

Zedekiah. 

Chap.  6.  babylonisii  captivity  67 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Babylonish  captivity.  Ezckiel.  Triumphs  of  Faith.  Pro- 
phecies of  Daniel.  Providence  of  God  relating  to  Cyrus, 
Restoration  of  the  Jews,  Temple  rebuilt.  Preservation  of 
the  Church  through  Esther.  Favourable  decrees  of  Artax- 
erxes  to  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  Their  labours  and  success  at 
Jerusalem.  The  last  of  the  Prophets.  Closing  of  the  sacred 
canon.     Zoroaster. 

In  the  year  588  B.  C.  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  of  the  Tern- 
pie  and  the  nation  was  rendered  complete.  The  remnant  of  this 
once  happy  and  flourishing  people  was  carried  captive  to  Baby- 
lon and  scattered  throughout  the  east.  Their  sufferings  were 
without  a  parallel.  Every  curse  and  wo  which  had  been  de- 
nounced upon  them  by  God  through  his  prophets,  if  they  forsook 
him,  were  strictly  and  literally  fulfilled.  But  amid  the  treache- 
ry of  friends  and  persecution  of  enemies,  the  Church  lived. — 
"  The  bush  burned  with  fire,  but  the  bush  was  not  consumed." 
God  had  a  seed  to  serve  him  ;  men  of  prayer  ;  who  sat  dov/n  by 
the  rivers  of  Babylon  and  wept  when  they  remembered  Zion — 
who,  in  recollection  of  their  beloved  homes,  their  Temple  wor- 
ship and  the  God  of  their  Fathers,  said,  "  If  I  forget  thee  O 
Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning.  If  I  do  not 
remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth  ; 
if  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy." 

Among  the  children  of  the  captivity  was  the  prophet  Ezekiel. 
He  was  a  descendant  of  Aaron,  of  the  tribe  of  Levi ;  and  was 
carried  captive  with  Jehoiachin  and  placed  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  Chebar.  He  began  to  prophecy  six  years  before  the  des- 
truction of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  continued  to 
prophecy  16  years  after.  In  the  fifth  year  of  his  captivity  and 
thirtieth  of  his  age  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  on  a  throne,  sup- 
ported by  cherubims  and  wheels,  signifying  angels  and  changing 
providences ;  and  directed  him  to  go  and  declare  his  mind  and 
will  to  the  captive  Jews.  They  had  mude  themselves  misera- 
ble from  supposing  that  the  remnant  at  Jerusalem  were  in  hap- 
py circumstances.  He  corrected  their  error  hy  shewing  them 
the  melancholy  state  of  Jerusalem  and  the  still  greater  calami- 
ties which  awaited  it  because  of  the  total  apostacy  of  the  Jews. 
He  occasionally  adverted  to  the  certain  destruction  of  their  ene- 
mies ;  predicted  the  advent  of  the  Messiah  and  the  final  restora- 
tion of  the  Jews.  His  style  is  bold  and  tragical.  Many  of  his 
prophecies  are  obscure.     The  nine  last  chapters,  furnish  a  de- 


68  Triumphs  op  faith.  Period  II 

scription  of  a  new  temple  and  city,  seen  in  vision,  under  which 
seems  to  be  shadowed  the  glorious  Church  universal. 

But  the  most  eminent  saint  and  the  most  exalted  personage  in 
the  Church  at  this  time,  was  the  prophet  Daniel.  He  was  de- 
scended from  the  kings  of  Judah  and  was  carried  captive  in  the 
fourth  year  of  Jehoiachin.  He  flourished  during  the  reigns  of 
several  monarchs  and  died  in  old  age,  after  the  capture  of  Baby- 
lon by  Cyrus.  Because  of  his  birth,  beauty  and  wisdom  he  was 
selected,  among  others,  to  receive  a  princely  education  and 
stand  in  the  presence  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  By  his  extraordina- 
ry qualities,  he  conciliated  the  favor  of  monarchs  and  was  ele- 
vated to  great  rank  and  power  ;  but,  sanctified  by  the  Spirit,  he 
maintained  a  close  walk  with  God,  professed  his  religion  and 
continued  stedfast  in  prayer,  in  defiance  of  the  greatest  dangers. 
Often  were  he  and  his  companions  tempted  by  the  greatest  pos- 
sible allurements — by  life  itself,  to  renounce  their  religion  and 
become  idolaters  ;  but  nothing  could  move  them.  They  feared 
God  rather  than  man.  And  their  heroism  and  fortitude  spread 
the  knowledge  of  God  among  all  nations. 

History  presents  no  greater  exhibition  of  moral  sublimity,  no 
greater  triumphs  of  faith  than  are  to  be  witnessed  in  Shadrach, 
Meshach  and  Abednego.  Throughout  the  east,  idolatry  was  at 
its  height  and  God  was  unknown.  Vast  kingdoms  were  sum- 
moned by  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  haughtiest  of  monarchs,  to  the 
plains  of  Dura,  to  bow  down  before  an  immense  idol,  which  he 
had  set  up.  These  companions  of  Daniel*  were  accused  and 
brought  before  the  king  as  disobedient  to  his  command.  A  tre- 
mendous fiery  furnace  was  prepared  for  the  disobedient,  and 
they  were  threatened  with  being  instantly  cast  into  it.  Had 
these  pious  youth  yielded,  Satan's  triumph  would  have  been 
complete.  But  the  seed  of  the  woman  was  to  bruise  the  head  of 
the  serpent,  and  they  stood  firm.  The  mighty  mass  of  idolaters 
gnashed  on  them  with  their  teeth.  But  they  stood  firm.  They 
were  cast  into  the  furnace.  But  God  was  with  them.  One 
like  to  the  Son  of  man  was  seen  walking  with  them  in  the  fire, 
and  the  fire  was  not  permitted  to  singe  their  garments,  or  the 
hair  of  their  head.  The  king  astonished,  callod  them  forth  and 
cast  their  accusers  into  the  furnace  to  their  immediate  and  aw- 
ful destruction.  And  behold  the  result!  "  I  make  a  decree," 
said  this  mightiest  of  human  monarchs,  "  That  every  people, 
nation  and  language  which  speak  any  thing  amiss  against  the 


*  Where  Daniel  was  at  this  time,  is  uncertain ;  probably  he  was  ab- 
sent or  50  much  in  favor  at  court  that  the  idolaters  durst  not  touch  him. 


Chap.  0.  daniel.  69 

God  of  Shadrach,  Mesliach  and  Abedncgo,  shall  be  cut  in  pie» 
ces  and  their  houses  shall  be  made  a  dung-hill."  It  was  a  glori- 
ous triumph  over  the  powers  of  darkness. 

The  prophecies  of  Daniel  are  the  most  magnificent  and  ex* 
tensive  of  any  which  were  ever  delivered.  They  chiefly  res- 
pect the  rise  and  fall  of  the  four  great  monarchies  of  the  world, 
which  were  to  be  succeeded  by  that  kingdom  which  should 
not  be  destroyed.  They  furnish  a  striking  exhibition  of  the 
power  and  destruction  of  Antichrist,  and  distinctly  assure  men 
of  a  general  resurrection  to  a  life  of  everlasting  shame,  or  ever- 
lasting blessedness.  Before  him  was  the  map  of  divine  provi* 
dence  ;  and,  with  such  accuracy  did  he  delineate  future  events, 
that  Porphyry,  a  bitter  enemy  of  Christianity,  could  only  main- 
tain his  cause  by  the  assertion  that  his  prophecies  were  'writ- 
ten after  the  events  had  occurred. 

His  first  prophecy  was  contained  in  his  explanation  of  Neb-r 
uchadnezzar's  dream.  This  mighty  monarch  beheld  in  vision, 
a  great  image,  whose  head  was  of  fine  gold  ;  whose  breast  and 
arms  were  of  silver  ;  whose  belly  and  thighs  were  of  brass  ; 
whose  legs  were  of  iron,  and  whose  feet  were  part  of  iron  and 
part  of  clay.  He  saw,  till  a  stone  was  cut  out  without  hands, 
which  smote  and  destroyed  the  image,  and  became  a  great 
mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth.  In  his  explanation, 
Daniel  shewed  that  the  head  of  gold  represented  the  Babyloni- 
an empire,  which  was  renowned  for  its  riches  ;  the  breast  and 
arms  of  silver,  the  Persian  empire  ;  the  belly  and  thighs  of 
brass,  the  Macedonian  empire,  which  under  Alexander,  ruled 
the  whole  earth  ;  and  the  legs  of  iron  and  feet  of  iron  and  clay, 
the  Roman  empire,  which  was  stronger  than  any  that  had  gone 
beforv  it,  but  which  was  composed  of  a  mixture  of  all  nations 
and  which  therefore  was  partly  strong  and  partly  weak.  Hav* 
ing  thus  clearly  pointed  out  these  four  great  empires,  he  uttered 
an  illustrious  prediction  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  which  the 
God  of  heaven  should  set  up  and  which,  imaged  by  the  stone, 
should  break  all  these  kingdoms  to  pieces,  and  stand  for-^ 
ever. 

Forty-eight  years  after,  the  same  things  were  revealed  to 
Daniel  and  by  him  to  the  Church,  under  the  similitude  of  wild 
beasts.  By  a  lion,  was  shadowed  out  to  him  the  Babylonian 
empire  ;  by  a  bear,  the  Medo-Persian  ;  by  a  leopard,  with  four 
heads,  the  Macedonian,  which,  after  the  death  of  Alexander, 
was  divided  into  four  kingdoms  ;  and  by  a  beast  which  was 
dreadful  and  terrible,  and  strong  exceedingly,  and  which  had 
great  iron  teeth,  and  ten  horns,  the  Romans,   which  should  be 


70  PROPHECIES    OF  PfiRIOD   II 

divided  into  ten  kingdoms.  While  he  was  considering,  a  little 
horn  arose  in  which  were  eyes  like  the  eyes  of  a  man,  and  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things,  shadowing  forth  the  man  of  sin , 
the  papal  hierarchy  ;  which  should  speak  great  things 
against  the  Most  High  and  wear  out  the  saints.  To  this  suc- 
ceeded a  most  sublime  view  of  the  universal  reign  of  Christ 
and  of  the  coming  of  the  ancient  of  days  to  judgment.  '*  Thou- 
sand thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  stood  before  him  ;  the  judgment  was  set  and  the 
books  were  opened." 

Besides  these,  Daniel  had  other  visions  of  the  events  of  na- 
tions which  have  long  since  been  realized,  and  of  some,  proba- 
bly which  are  yet  to  come  to  pass  ;  but  there  is  one  class  of 
his  prophecies  peculiarly  interesting  to  the  Church.  By  Ga- 
briel was  revealed  to  him,  with  great  exactness,  the  time  when 
Messiah,  the  prince,  should  appear.  "  Seventy  weeks,"  said 
he,  "  are  determined  upon  thy  people  and  upon  thy  holy  city, 
to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to 
make  reconciliation  for  iniquity  and  to  bring  in  everlasting 
righteousness,  and  to  :*eal  up  the  vision  of  prophecy,  and  to 
anoint  the  Most  Holy.  Know  therefore  and  understand,  that, 
from  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  restore  and  to 
build  Jerusalem  unto  the  Messiah  the  prince,  shall  be  seven 
weeks  and  three  score  and  two  weeks.  And  after  three  score 
and  two  weeks,  shall  Messiah  be  cut  off,  but  not  for  himself." 
A  day,  in  prophetic  language,  is  a  year.  The  period  predicted 
therefore,  was  490  years  from  the  commission  given  to  Ezra  by 
Artaxerxes,  to  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  ;  or  434  years  from 
the  completion  of  the  second  temple  ;  which  was  exactly  ful- 
filled. With  the  like  accuracy  also,  did  this  prophet  predict  the 
duration  of  the  Man  of  sin  and  the  reign  of  the  prince  of  dark- 
ness ;  which  will  be  fully  seen,  when  the  kingdom,  and  the  do- 
minion, and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdom,  shall  be  given  to 
the  saints  of  the  Slost  High. 

What  a  view  had  this  prophet  of  events  in  the  womb  of  time  ! 
How  clearly  manifest  it  is  that  ''  known  unto  God  are  all  his 
works  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;"  that  he  works  by  a 
fixed  plan  ;  that  he  determines  the  end  from  the  beginning  ; 
and  that,  while  man  is  perfectly  free  and  pursues  his  own  pleas- 
ure, God  sits  on  the  throne  accomplishing,  in  his  own  time  and 
way,  and  through  the  instrumentality  of  man,  his  glorious  pur- 
poses. Well  might  Daniel  exclaim  in  prospect,  and  we,  in  the 
fulfilment  of  these  purposes,  *'  Blessed  be  the  name  of  God 
forever  and  ever,  for  wisdom  and  might  are  his.     And  he  chan- 


Chap.  5.  daniel.  71 

geth  the  times  and  the  seasons  ;  he  removcth  kings,  and  setteth 
up  kings ;  he  giveth  wisdom  unto  the  wise,  and  knowledge  to 
them  that  know  understanding.  He  revealeth  the  deep  and  se- 
cret things  ;  he  knoweth  what  is  in  the  darkness  and  light 
dvvelleth  with  him." 

In  the  land  of  bondage  the  Church  might  have  been  left  to 
perish,  but  God  was  in  the  midst  of  her  ;  and  when  the  time 
lor  her  deliverance  had  come,  so  clearly  and  fully  predicted  by 
his  prophets,  He  provided  means  for  its  accomplishment.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  years  before,  he  had  declared  by  Isaiah,  that 
he  would  raise  up  Cyrus,  who  should  deliver  this  people.*  In 
the  ordinary  course  of  human  events,  this  distinguished  man 
came  to  the  height  of  power.  He  was  the  son  of  Cambyses, 
!he  king  of  Persia  ;  and  as  he  advanced  in  life,  became  an  em- 
inent warrior.  In  conjunction  with  his  uncle  Darius  the  Med^ 
he  besieged  Babylon.  But  it  was  a  city  of  amazing  strength, 
and  its  conquest  appeared  beyond  the  power  of  man.  Under 
its  walls  and  through  the  centre  of  the  city,  ran  the  Euphrates. 
This  had  once  been  turned  into  a  vast  lake,  excavated  for  its 
deception,  while  a  passage  could  be  made  under  its  bed  to  unite 
two  palaces,  which  stood  on  its  opposite  banks.  Cyrus  resol- 
ved to  break  down  the  embankment  which  had  been  formet^^ 
turn  the  water  into  the  old  excavation,  and  march  into  the 
city  in  the  dry  bed  of  the  nver. 

Having  fixed  his  plan,  he  determined  to  prosecute  it  on  9 
night  when  Belshazzar  and  all  his  court  were  engaged  in  riot- 
ing. This  Belshazzar  was  one  of  the  most  impious  princes 
who  had  filled  the  throne.  That  night  he  drank  from  the  gold 
and  silver  vessels  which  were  taken  out  of  the  Temple  at  Jeru- 
salem, he  and  his  lords,  and  his  concubines,  making  a  mock  of 
the  God  of  heaven.  For  such  impiety  Jehovah  awfully  chastised 
him.  For  he  caused  an  hand  to  appear  and  write  on  the  wall. 
At  beholding  it,  fear  and  astonishment  seized  the  king,  and 
he  called  his  magicians,  and  diviners,  and  astrologers,  but  none 
could  read  the  writing.  Daniel,  the  prophet,  was  instantly 
;?ummoned  and  he  read,  *'  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin," 
giving  the  interpretation  "  God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom 
and  finished  it.  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found 
wanting.  Thy  kingdom  is  divided  and  given  to  the  Medes  and 
Persians."  No  sooner  was  the  warning  given,  than  Darius  and 
Gyrus  entered  the  city,  and  Belshazzar  was  slain.      Thus  e;id- 


*  Isaiah  xlv.  1, 


7fJ  CYRUS.  Period  IL 

cd  the  Babylonian  empire.  Thus  was  destroyed  the  golden 
head  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  image,  539  years  B.  C.  and  thus  were 
fulfilled  the  many  prophecies  which  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Habak- 
kuk  and  Daniel  had  delivered  against  it. 

Of  the  new  kingdom  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  the  arms 
and  breast  of  the  great  image,  Daniel  was  made  prime  minis- 
ter. His  exaltation  excited  the  envy  of  the  presidents  and  prin- 
ces ;  and,  when  they  could  find  nothing  against  him,  they 
artfully  laid  a  plan  to  destroy  him  for  his  religion.  To  the  great 
grief  of  Darius,  he  was  cast  into  the  den  of  lions  because  he 
would  go  to  his  chamber  and  three  times  a  day,  pray  to  the  God 
of  heaven.  But  God  shut  the  mouths  of  the  lions  and  he  was 
brought  forth  in  safety.  His  enemies  were  destroyed  and  his 
influence  at  court  was  greater  than  ever. 

In  a  few  years  Cyrus  succeeded  to  the  throne.  Daniel  had 
carefully  computed  the  seventy  years  of  Judah's  captivity  pre- 
dicted by  Jeremiah,  and  had  made  earnest  supplication  unto  the 
Lord  that  he  would  remember  his  people.  He  shewed  the  king, 
We  have  reason  to  suppose,  the  predictions  of  Isaiah  respecting 
him  and  the  purpose  for  which  God  had  raised  him  up,  and  ear- 
nestly interceded  with  him  to  effect  the  deliverance  on  which 
his  heart  was  placed.  The  king's  heart  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Lord,  and  He  stirred  up  this  heathen  prince  to  make  this  won- 
derful proclamation,  *'  The  Lord  God  of  heaven  hath  given  me 
ail  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  and  he  hath  charged  me  to  build 
him  an  house  at  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah.  Who  is  there 
among  you  of  all  his  people,  his  God  be  with  him  and  let  him  go 
up  to  Jerusalem." 

Atheists  ascribe  all  things  to  chance,  and  earthly  politicians 
glory  in  developing  the  secret  springs  of  actions  ;  but  the  Bible 
shews  us  an  Almighty  governor  sitting  on  the  throne  of  the  uni- 
verse and  wielding  the  destinies  of  nations  at  his  pleasure.  No- 
thing is  of  so  much  consequence  in  the  eyes  of  men  as  a  vast, 
splendid  and  powerful  empire.  Bat  the  mightiest  kingdoms 
are  raised  up  and  destroyed  in  entire  subserviency  to  the  good  of 
the  Church.  The  whole  history  of  the  world  is  but  a  history 
of  the  divine  decrees.  Babylon  the  glory  of  kingdoms,  was  raised 
up  to  be  a  furnace  for  the  Church  and  when  it  was  sufficiently 
purified,  Babylon  was  destroyed  that  the  Church  might  not  perish 
in  bondage.  Her  deliverer  was  predicted  ages  before  his  birth 
and  was  conducted  to  princely  power  by  the  hand  of  God.  His 
acquaintance  Vvith  the  Israelites  and  the  divine  purposes  was 
through  the  eminent  prophet  who  had  been  miraculously  pre^ 
served  from  death.     How  awful  ,and  glorious  is  the  sovereignty 


Chap.  6.  return  erom  captivitv  TU 

of  God !  He  called  the  ravenous  bird  from  the  east  to  execute 
vengeance  upon  Babylon  and  deliver  his  people.  How  weak 
and  contemptible  are  they  wlio  fancy  they  control  the  affairs 
of  nations!  "Surely  the  princes  of  Zoan  are  fools."  The  bal- 
ance of  power  is  in  his  hands  who  weigheth  kings  and  na- 
tions. 

Forty-two  thousand  people,  chiefly  of  the  tribes  of  Judah 
and  Benjamin,  with  sevon  thousand  servants,  returned  the 
first  year,  under  Zerubbabel,  to  the  holy  land  ; — 535  B.  C. 
Though  of  two  tribes,  they  were  blended  together  under  the 
name  of  Jews — an  appellation  which  they  have,  from  that  day 
to  this,  sustained.  They  carried  with  ihem  all  the  golden  ves- 
sels belonging  to  the  Temple,  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  pil- 
laged. After  providing  themselves  suitable  habitations,  they 
assembled  at  Jerusalem  ;  celebrated  the  feast  of  trumpets  ;  re- 
stored the  altar  of  the  Lord  for  burnt  offerings,  and  commen- 
ced rebuilding  the  Temple.  But  they  soon  met  with  a  power- 
ful opposition  from  the  Samaritans. 

The  Samaritans  were  a  people  who  were  brought  by  Shal- 
maneser,  when  he  carried  the  ten  tribes  out  of  their  owm  land, 
from  Babylon,  from  Cuthah,  from  Ava,  from  Hameth,  and. 
from  Sepharvaim,  and  made  to  dwell  in  the  desolate  cities  oi 
Samaria.  These  foreigners  intermingled  with  the  lower  clas- 
ses of  thelsraehtes,  who  remained  in  the  land  ;  and  formed  a 
mongrel  race,  claiming  connexion  with  the  Jews  and  Heathen. 
Being  harrassed  by  lions,  they  sought  protection  from  Jehovah 
the  God  of  the  country,  and  obtained  from  an  exiled  Hebrew* 
priest,  a  copy  of  the  five  books  of  Moses.* 

Hearing  of  the  return  and  undertaking  of  the  Jews,  this 
people  came  and  offered  to  unite  with  them  ;  but  as  they  were 
not  of  the  children  of  Israel,  would  not  put  away  their  idols 
and  cared  but  little  about  the  true  religion,  the  Hebrews  would 
have  no  connexion  with  them  ;  which  so  enraged  the  Samari- 
tans that  they  opposed  them  with  bitterness,  bribed  some  of  the 
counsellors  of  Cyrus  to  act  against  them,  and,  for  many  years, 
greatly  retarded  their  work.      And   when   Cyrus  and  Daniel 


*  This  being  the  most  ancient  translation  of  the  Pentateuch,  haa 
been  considered  of  great  importance  in  relation  lo  biblical  criticism. 
U  differs  in  about  2000  instances  from  the  Jewish  copy.  But  it  has 
been  shewn,  in  a  late  learned  work  of  Gesenius,  that  the  Jewish  is  th© 
original  copy  and  that  all  the  variations  of  the  Samaritan  may  be  ea- 
sily accoimted  for.  The  Samaritans  are  now  reduced  to  less  than  200 
persons.     They  reside  at  Neplos,  the  ancient  SvcUar  or  Sychea. 

7 


74  SAMARITANS.      SECOND   TEMPLE.  PERIOD  ll. 

were  dead  and  a  new  monarch  was  upon  the  throne,  they  made 
such  representations  to  him  of  the  former  rebellious  character 
of  the  Jews,  that  he  issued  a  decree  against  the  rebuilding  of 
the  Temple,  and  the  work  ceased.  In  opposition  to  the  Jew- 
ish Temple  they  buili  one  on  Mount  Gerizim,  where  they  said 
men  ought  to  worship.  Between  them  and  the  Jews  has  ever 
subsisted  the  most  bitter  animosity. 

Under  a  succeeding  reign,  the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zecha- 
jiah  exhorted  the  Jews  to  go  on  with  their  work.  And  when 
the  Governor  asked  for  their  warrant  in  undertaking  it  again, 
they  appealed  to  the  decree  of  Cyrus.  This  appeal  was  sent  to 
Darius,  the  king,  who  caused  search  to  be  made.  The  decree 
was  found  ;  liberty  was  granted  them  to  finish  the  Temple  and 
means  were  furnished  from  the  king's  treasury.  In  twenty 
years  from  their  return,  the  building  was  completed  and  dedi- 
cated to  God  with  great  solemnity  and  joy,  B.  C.  515. 

This  second  Temple,  however  had  but  little  of  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  first,  i  he  aged  men  who  beheld  it,  wept  at  the 
contrast.  Besides  its  inferior  workmanship  and  covering,  it 
was  destitute  of  the  Shechinah  or  cloud  of  glory  over  the  mer- 
cy seat  ;  of  the  holy  oracle,  or  approach  to  God  by  Urim  and 
Thummim  ;  of  the  perpetual  fire  which  came  down  from  heav- 
en in  the  wilderness  ;  and  of  the  two  tables  of  the  testimony  on 
which  God  wrote,  with  his  finger,  the  ten  commandments. 
But  yet  the  glory  of  this  latter  house  was  to  be  greater  than 
that  of  the  former  ;  for  into  it  the  Desire  of  all  nations  was  to 
come  who  would  fill  it  with  his  praise. 

Two  eminent  prophets,  Haggai  andZechariah,  returned  with 
the  children  of  the  captivity.  '1  hey  were  raised  up  to  reprove 
the  people  for  their  sins  ;  to  call  them  to  repentance  and  en- 
courage them  in  building  the  second  Temple.  The  most  emi- 
nent prediction  of  Haggai  was  of  the  Messiah's  coming  into  his 
Temple,  when  God  should  shake  the  nations.  Zechariah  pre- 
dicted with  wonderful  minuteness,  his  riding  into  Jerusalem  on 
an  ass,  and  a  colt  the  foal  of  an -ass  ;  his  being  valued  at  thirty 
pieces  of  silver  ;  and  his  death,  by  the  avenging  sword  of  Je- 
hovah. He  also  described  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans  ;  the  conversion  and  bitter  grief  of  the  Jews  for  hav- 
ing pierced  the  Messiah,  and  their  final  admission  by  baptism 
into  the  privileges  of  the  gospel  covenant.  His  style  is  much 
like  that  of  Jeremiah,  whose  spirit,  the  Jews  said,  had  descend- 
ed upon  him. 

This  dreadful  captivity  cured  the  nation  of  idolatry.  They 
never  more  went  after  the  gods  of  the  heathen. 


CiaAP.  Q,  CHURCH  SAVED   THROUGH   ESTHER,  7,5 

It  was  but  a  remnant  that  was  restored  to  their  native  land, 
and  this  was  from  the  tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin.  Tho 
ten  tribes  were  doomed  to  a  long  dispersion  among  the  eas- 
tern nations.  Their  descendants,  it  is  supposed,  are  still  dis- 
tinctly visible. 

In  a  subsequent  period,  in  the  reign  of  Ahasuerus,  called 
also  Artaxerxes,  this  whole  people,  embracing  the  Church  of 
God,  came  near  an  utter  extermination.  For  Haman,  the 
prime  minister  of  his  court,  unable  to  brook  the  contumely 
shewn  him  by  Mordecai,  a  Jew,  who  probably  only  refused  to 
render  him  certain  honours  because  he  viewed  them  as  due  to 
God  alone,  procured  a  royal  decree,  for  their  entire  destruction 
throughout  the  whole  world.  But  Esther,  a  Jewess,  had  been 
exalted  to  royalty  ;  and  through  her  intercession  the  plot  was 
defeated  and  the  Jews  were  saved.  This  great  event  happen- 
ed 452  B.  C.  In  commemoration  of  it,  the  Jews  instituted 
the  feast  of  Purim ,  or  lot,  because  Haman  ascertained  by  lot 
the  day  on  which  the  Jews  were  to  be  destroyed. 

In  no  part  of  the  sacred  writings  do  we  more  clearly  behold 
the  wonderful  steps  of  divme  providence  for  the  preservation 
of  the  Church.  The  most  trivial  circumstances  paved  the  way 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  most  important  events.  A  Jew- 
ess orphan  became  the  queen  of  the  greatest  empire  on  earth, 
through  the  whim  of  a  monarch  in  a  drunken  revel.  A  restless 
night  of  the  king,  brought  to  the  highest  honors  the  object  of 
Haman's  implacable  rage,  and  the  man  on  whom  the  salvation 
of  the  Church  rested.  The  uncertain  humour  of  a  despot,  was 
overruled  to  regard  favorably  the  petition  of  his  queen, 
who  approached  him  at  the  hazard  of  her  life,  for  the  safety  of 
her  people.  And  when  ♦he  Church  was  actually  consigned  to 
ruin,  it  was  only  saved  by  a  counter  decree  which  gave  the 
Jews  hberty  to  defend  themselves  agamst  their  enemies.  In 
all  this  concatenation  of  circumstances  there  was  nothing  mirac- 
ulous. All  happened  according  to  the  ordinary  course  of  hu- 
man affairs,  and  yet  all  was  directed  by  the  finger  of  God. 
God  brought  Esther  to  the  kingdom  "  for  such  a  time  as  this." 
She  saved  her  people,  and  made  this  mighty  Ahasuerus  favour- 
able to  the  Church  during  the  whole  of  his  reign.  By  whom 
the  book  of  Esther  was  written  is  unknown.  It  has  been  as- 
cribed to  Mordecai,  to  Ezra,  and  to  iNehemiah. 

Seventy-eight  years  after  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  457  B.  C.  Ez- 
ra was  commissioned  by  Artaxerxes  (the  Ahasuerus  of  the 


'i(i  EZRA.       NEHEMIAIT.  PeRIOD  II 

book  of  Esther,)  governor  of  Jadea.*  He  went  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem with  about  1700  persons,  bearing  a  munificent  present  of 
silver  and  gold  from  the  king  and  his  counsellor,  to  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel,  and  a  proclamation  to  all  the  treasurers 
beyond  the  river,  requiring  them  to  furnish  whatsoever  should 
be  commanded  by  the  God  of  heaven,  for  his  house  ;~all. 
probably,  obtained  through  the  intercession  of  queen  Esther^ 
Like  a  truly  pious  man,  who  placed  his  dependence  on  the  God 
of  heaven  ;  Ezra  observed,  at  the  river  Ahava,  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer,  and  God  was  with  him,  and  made  all  his  way  pros- 
perous before  him.  He  found  the  people  in  a  low  state.  They 
had  intermarried  with  the  Gentiles  in  the  land.  Ezra  conve- 
ned them,  severely  rebuked  them,  compelled  them  all  o  put 
away  their  strange  wives,  and  publicly  read  to  them,  from  a 
pulpit  of  wood,  the  law  of  God.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  poured 
out,  and  the  people  turned  to  the  Lord  with  weeping  and  fast- 
ing and  mourning  ;  entered  into  solemn  covenant  with  Gody 
and  became  greatly  reformed. 

Ezra  was  of  the  sacerdotal  family,  and  was  an  eminent  scribe. 
He  not  onlv  wrote  the  book,  which  bears  his  name  ;  but  com- 
piled, from  ancient  records,  the  books  of  Chronicles,  collect- 
ed all  the  books  of  which  the  sacred  scriptures  did  then  consist, 
made  such  additions  to  them  as  were  necessary  for  their  com- 
pletion and  placed  them  in  their  proper  order.  In  transcri- 
bing, he  put  the  Hebrew  writings  into  the  square  character  of 
the  Chaldeans,  after  which  the  ancient  Hebrew  character  fell 
into  disuse  excepting  with  the  Samaritans,  who  have  retained  it 
to  this  day.  Ten  years  after,  Nehemiah  went  to  Jerusalem  with 
a  commission  from  the  samt^  king  to  repair  the  walls  and  set  up 
the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  He  was  a  Jew,  of  exalted  heroism  and 
piety,  who  had  obtained  the  place  of  cup-bearer  to  the  king  ; 
not  improbably  through  the  influence  of  queen  Esther.  Un- 
der him  the  people  fortified  the  city,  though  they  were  so  op= 
posed  by  the  Samaritans,  as  to  be  obliged  to  carry  arms  to  their 
work.  Nehemiah  returned  to  the  Persian  court,  but  he  soon 
came  back  with  a  new  commission,  and  entered  with  great  zeal 
upon  the  business  ot  re-peopling  Jerusalem  and  of  reforming 
the  nation  ;  especially  in  their  abuses  of  the  daily  worship  and 
of  the  Holy  Sabbath.  His  government  continued  near  forty 
years.  His  last  act  of  reformation  was  in  the  year  409  B.  C. 
He  died,  probably,  soon  after  this,  about  70  years  of  age. 


*  From  the  decree  granting  this  commission,  are  to  be  dated  the  70 
weeks  of  Daniel. 


ClIAP.  C.  MALACHI.  77 

Under  the  administration  of  these  excellent  men  the  custom 
was  introduced  of  reading,  publicly,  the  law  and  the  prophets  in 
the  synagogues  every  sabbath  day.  Before  the  captivity,  there 
were  but  very  few  copies  of  the  sacred  scriptures.  In  the 
time  of  Josiah,  only  one  copy  of  the  law  was  in  existence.  The 
people,  therefore,  were  very  ignorant  of  it.  But  by  this  new 
regulation,  copies  were  greatly  multiplied.  Synagogues,  or 
churches,  were  built  in  every  town  and  every  synagogue  had 
one  copy. 

Contemporary  with  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  was  the  prophet  Mal- 
achi.  He  was  raised  up  to  censure  the  people  for  the  same 
offences  that  had  excited  the  indignation  of  the  governors,  and 
to  declare  that  God  would  punish  and  reject  them  and  would 
make  his  name  great  among  the  Gentiles.  He  predicted  the 
coming  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  the  sudden  appearance  of  the 
Lord  in  his  Temple,  to  take  vengeance  on  his  enemies  and  be 
glorified  in  them  that  fear  him.  His  style  is  inferior,  as  he 
lived  in  the  decline  of  the  Hebrew  poetry.  He  was  the  last  of 
the  prophets.  By  him  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  was 
completed,  about  400  years  before  Christ. 


Table  of  the  Prophets 

loho  prophecied  after  the  cnptivity. 

Daniel     -     -    | 

between  606  and  534  B.  C. 

Ezekiel,    -      | 

between  595  and  536. 

Haggai,  -     -    1 

about  520. 

Zechariah,  -    | 

about  519. 

Malachi,     -       j 

between  4:?6  and  400. 

For  many  ages  the  false  religions  of  the  East  had  remained 
stationary  ;  but  in  this  period  Magianism  received  considerable 
strength  from  the  writings  of  Zoroaster.  He  was  a  native  of 
Media.  He  pretended  to  a  visit  in  heaven,  where  God  spake 
to  him  out  of  a  fire.  This  fire  he  pretended  to  bring  with  him 
on  his  return.  It  was  considered  holy,  the  dwelhng  of  God. 
The  Priests  were  forever  to  keep  it  and  the  people  were  to  wor- 
ship before  it.  He  caused  fire-temples  every  where  to  be  e- 
rected,  that  storms  and  tempests  might  not  extinguish  it.  As  he 
considered  God  as  dwelling  in  the  fire,  he  made  the  sun  to  be 
liis  chief  residence  and  therefore  the  primary  object  of  worship. 
He  abandoned  the  old  system  of  two  Gods,  one  good  and  the 
other  evil,  and  taught  the  existence  of  one  Supreme,  who  had 
under  him  a  good  and  evil  angel ;  the  immediate  authers  of, 

7* 


78  ZOROASTER.  PeRIOD    U 

good  and  evil.  To  gain  reputation,  he  retired  into  a  cave  and 
there  Hved  a  long  time  a  recluse,  and  composed  a  book  called 
the  Zendavesta,  which  contains  the  liturgy  to  be  used  in  the 
fire-temples  and  the  chief  doctrines  of  his  religion.  His  suc- 
cess in  propagating  his  system  was  astonishingly  great.  Al- 
most all  the  eastern  world,  for  a  season,  bowed  before  him. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  slain,  with  80  of  his  priests,  by  a  Scy- 
thian prince  whom  he  attempted  to  convert  to  his  religion.  It 
is  manifest  that  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Jewish  scrip- 
tures, and  that  he  derived  his  whole  system  of  God's  dwelling  in 
the  fire  from  the  burning  bush,  out  of  which  God  spake  to  Mo- 
ses. He  gave  the  same  history  of  the  creation  and  deluge 
that  Moses  had  given  and  inserted  a  great  part  of  the  Psalms 
of  David  inio  his  writings.  The  Mehestani,  his  followers,  be- 
lieved in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  m  future  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments, and  in  the  purification  of  the  bad  by  fire  ;  after  whicli 
they  would  be  united  to  the  good. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Civil  government  of  the  Jews.  Sanhedrim.  Religions  order. 
Degeneracy  in  iriety.  Conflicts  for  the  High-priesthood. 
Joshua  slain  in  the  Temple.  Destruction  of  the  Persian  and 
erection  of  the  Grecian  monarchy.  Daniel's  vision  of  the 
ram  and  the  he-goat.  Fwfihnent  of  prophecies  against  Tyre. 
The  Jews  favored  hy  Alexander.  Course  and  end  of  the  hc- 
goat.  Of  the  four  horns  lohich  stood  up  in  its  place.  Death 
of  Simon  the  just.  Septuagint  version  of  the  Scriptures. 
Ptolemy's  violdion  of  the  Holy  of  holies.  The  Jews  favor- 
ed hy  Antiochus  the  Great. 

From  the  completion  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament 
to  the  birth  of  Christ,  was  a  period  of  about  400  years.  It  was 
a  period  of  which  indeed,  v/e  have  no  inspired  history  ;  but  as 
the  great  Edwards  well  remarks,  it  was  a  period  whose  events 
are  much  the  subject  of  Scripture  prophecy  ;  so  that,  if  we 
have  no  later  writer  than  Malachi,  still  we  have,  in  the  Bible,  a 
complete  history  of  the  Church  ;  "  the  account  is  carried  on, 
the  chain  is  not  broken  'till  we  come  to  the  very  last  link  of  it 
in  the  consummation  of  all  things."  God  also  has  provided 
profane  historians,  who,  from  the  cessation  of  scriptural  history, 
have  given  us  authentic  and  full  accounts  of  his  providential 


CUAP.   7.  SANHEDRIM.  79 

dealings  with  his  Church  and  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  ena- 
bled us  to  behold  the  exact  fulfilment  of  his  prophetic  revela- 
tions. 

After  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  captivity,  they  remained  in 
a  feeble  state,  under  the  Persian  monarchs.  The  last  of  their 
governors  from  among  themselves,  was  Nehemiah.  At  his 
death  they  were  transferred  to  the  prefecture  of  Syria,  by  which 
they  were  subjected  to  an  easy  tribute.  They  lived  however 
under  their  own  laws,  governed  by  the  high  priest,  and  might 
have  been  a  happy  people  had  it  not  been  for  long  continued 
and  violent  contests  by  brothers  and  others  nearly  relate  ;,  for 
the  sacerdotal  dignity,  and  the  tyrannical  conduct  of  some  who 
were  raised  to  it.  An  office  so  holy,  should  ever  have  been  fill- 
ed by  holy  men  of  God  ;  but,  Hke  the  pontificate  in  after  ages, 
it  was  sought  for  by  men  of  ambition  and  avarice  as  a  place  iu 
which  the  vilest  passions  might  be  gratified.  As  its  civil  au- 
thority came  from  the  Syrian  governor,  it  was  purchased  and 
retained  by  money  and  the  vilest  political  artifices.  The  nation 
was  thrown  by  contending  candidates,  into  violent  conflicts, 
and  was  burdened  with  heavy  taxes  to  satisfy  the  demands  of 
the  Prefect. 

At  a  subsequent  period,  we  find  associated  with  the  High- 
Priest,  in  the  government  of  the  nation,  a  grand  council  called 
the  Sanhedrim,  consisting  of  72  judges,  which  possessed  the 
power  of  hfe  and  death.  The  Jews  called  it  "  a  hedge  to  the 
laws  ;"  and  maintained  that  it  v;as  instituted  by  God  in  the  days 
of  Moses,  when  He  appointed  72  elders  to  aid  him  in  the  gov- 
ernment. But  as  we  find  no  account  of  it  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, it  is  evident  that  it  was  an  institution  of  modern  date. 
Basnage  and  others  have  fixed  its  first  institution  in  the  time  of 
the  Maccabees.  Its  authority  extended  over  all  the  synagogues 
in  the  world,  and  no  appeal  could  be  made  from  its  sentence. 

The  religious  services  of  the  Jews,  continued  much  upon  the 
plan  established  by  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  A  synagogue  or 
church  was  built  in  every  city.  Ai  the  east  end  was  a  chest  or 
ark,  bearing  a  resemblance  to  the  ark  of  the  covenant  in  the 
temple  ;  in  which  was  placed  the  Pentateuch,  written  upon 
vellum.  The  people  assembled  for  prayer,  three  times  e  ery 
day  ;  in  the  morning,  afternoon  and  evening.  On  the  Sab'ath 
day  and  on  festival  days,  the  law  and  the  prophets  were  read 
and  expounded.  Their  form  of  worship  was  much  the  same  as 
in  christian  assemblies,  and  is  retained  to  this  day. 

As  has  been  remarked,  the  Jews  were  cured,  by  the  captivity, 
of  their  idolatry.     They  ever  looked  upon  that  sin  as  the  cause 


80  CONFLICTS  FOR  THE  HIGH-PRIESTHOOD.     PeRIOE    IL 

of  their  curse.  In  the  great  revival  under  Ezra,  they  conse- 
crated themselves  anew  to  God,  and  would  have  been  happy 
had  they  continued  a  holy  people  unto  the  Lord — looking,  with 
lively  faith,  to  the  coming  of  "  the  Desire  of  all  nations."  But 
alas !  they  soon  degenerated  into  cold  formality  and  debasing 
superstition  ;  and,  instead  of  purity  of  morals  and  true  devo- 
tion, offered  little  to  God  but  a  fiery  zeal  for  the  rites  and  cere- 
monies of  the  Church.  Could  we  look  among  the  mountains 
and  vallies  of  Judea,  we  should  no  doubt,  in  every  age  find 
many  a  devout  Simeon  and  praying  Anna,  "  waiting  for  the 
consolation  of  Israel."  God  has  ever  had  a  people  to  serve  him. 
This  nation  he  had  owned  m  his  gracious  covenant.  Here, 
under  his  word  and  ordinances,  lived  the  true  Church.  Here, 
many  souls  were  tramed  up  for  glory.  But  history  chiefly  pre- 
sents us  the  painful  conflicts  of  violent  men,  contending  for 
the  priesthood,  and  not  less  violent  doctors  corrupting  the  law 
of  Moses,  and  introducing  tenets  and  customs  which  made 
void  the  commandments  of  God.  These,  with  their  results,  must 
be  recorded,  that  a  full  view  may  be  presented  of  the  state  of 
the  Church,  and  the  providences  of  God  in  relation  to  it. 

So  early  as  the  year  366,  B.  C.  we  find  a  conflict  for  the 
High  Priesthood,  temiinating  in  blood,  and  bringing  great  op- 
pression upon  the  Jewish  nation.  Johanan,  the  son  of  Jehoi- 
da,  had  succeeded  his  father  in  the  high  priesthood  ;  but  Josh- 
ua, his  brother,  having  insinuated  himself  into  the  favor  of 
Bagoses,  governor  of  Syria,  obtained  of  him  a  grant  of  the 
office.  A  dispute  ensued  ;  and  Joshua  was  slain  by  Jolianan 
in  the  inner  court  of  the  Temple.  This  act  of  violence  so  en- 
raged Bagoses,  that  he  imposed  an  enormous  fine  upon  the 
pontiff  and  temple,  annually,  for  seven  years. 

A  few  years  after  this  unhappy  event,  the  Jews  imprudently 
engaged  with  the  Phenicians  in  a  war  against  Ochus,  the  Per- 
sian monarch  ;  in  consequence  of  which  he  entered  Judea. 
took  Jericho,  and  carried  captive  many  of  the  Jews  into  Egypt, 
and  sent  others  to  the  borders  of  the  Caspian  sea. 

The  Persian  monarchy  (the  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  of  the 
great  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar)  had  now  continued  about 
200  years  ;  but,  according  to  the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  it  was 
drawing  to  its  close,  to  be  succeeded  by  the  Grecian  ;  repre- 
sented by  the  belly  and  thighs  of  brass.  For  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  purpose  God  raised  up  Alexander,  the  son  of 
Philip,  king  of  Macedonia,  and  endowed  him  with  talents  for 
the  accomplishment  of  vast  and  glorious  undertakings.  Ac- 
tuated by  an  ambition  to  conquer  the  world,  this  Prince  wpnt 


Chap.  7.  daniel's  ram  and  he  goat.  61 

forth  furiously  with  a  small  but  powerful  army,  against  Darius, 
king  of  Persia,  and  became  a  triumphant  conqueror  of  armies 
and  dominions,  which  had  been  considered  invincible,  and  es- 
tabhshed  on  the  ruins  of  the  Persians,  the  third  great  empire 
of  the  earth.  This  event  took  plac«"  334  B.  C. 

Besides  the  general  representations  of  it  in  the  image  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  Daniel's  vision  of  four  beasts,  that  dis** 
tinguished  prophet  had  another  more  particular  and  striking 
view  of  it,  in  his  vision  of  the  ram  and  the  he  goat.  "  Then 
I  lifted  up  mine  eyes"  said  Daniel,  "  andsaw%  and  behold  there 
stood  before  the  river  a  ram,  which  had  two  horns,  and  the 
two  horns  were  high  up,  but  one  was  higher  than  the  otheFj 
and  the  higher  came  up  last."  This  ram,  according  to  the  in- 
terpretation of  Gabriel,  was  the  empire  of  the  Modes  and 
Persians.  "  1  saw,"  says  the  Prophet,  "  the  ram  pushing 
westward  and  northward  and  southward  so  that  no  beast  might 
stand  before  him."  Under  Cyrus  and  his  successors,  the  Per- 
sians pushed  their  conquests  on  every  side.  "  And  as  I  was 
considering,  behold  an  he  goat  came  from  the  west,  on  the 
face  of  the  whole  earth  and  touched  not  the  ground  ;  and  the 
he  goat  had  a  notable  horn  between  his  eyes."  By  the  Angel 
Gabriel  the  prophet  was  told  that  this  rough  goat  was  the 
king  of  Greece,  and  the  great  horn  that  was  between  his  eyes, 
was  the  first  king.  "  And  he  came,"  said  Daniel,  "  to  the 
ram  that  had  two  horns  which  I  had  seen  standing  before  the 
river,  and  ran  unto  him  in  the  fury  of  his  power.  And  1  saw 
him  come  close  unto  the  ram,  and  he  was  moved  with  choler 
against  him,  and  smote  the  ram,  and  brake  his  two  horns,  and 
there  was  no  power  in  the  ram  to  stand  before  him,  but  he 
cast  him  down  to  the  ground  and  stamped  upon  him  and  there 
was  none  that  could  deliver  the  ram  out  of  his  hand." 

This  wonderful  prophecy  thus  delivered  230  years  before, 
received  a  most  exact  fulfilment  in  the  rapid  and  irresistible 
movements  of  the  Grecian  conqueror.  Alexander,  the  leop- 
ard in  a  former  vision  and  the  hegoat  from  the  west  in  this,  flew 
with  incredible  swiftness  and  came  upon  his  enemies  before 
they  were  aware  of  him  or  could  place  themselves  in  a  posture 
of  defence.  At  the  river  Granicus  he  met  Darius  with  all  his 
army.  He  commanded  35,000  men,  while  Darius  had  five  times 
that  number.  But  he  regarded  him  not.  He  ran  unto  him  in 
the  fury  of  his  power,  and  he  smote  the  ram  and  brake  his  two 
horns.  Media  and  Persia,  were  no  more.  He  routed  all  the 
armies,  took  all  the  cities  and  castles,  and  subverted  forever 
the  Persian  empire.    Thus  did  this  mad  and  ferocious  hea- 


8S  DESTRUCTION  OF  TYRE.  PeRIOD  IT 

then  prince  become  the  instrument  of  effecting,  in  part,  the 
divine  purpose  declared  by  Ezekiel.*  "I  will  overturn,  overturn, 
overturn  it  and  it  shall  be  no  more,  until  he  come  whose  right 
it  is,  and  I  will  give  it  him." 

Having  overthrown  the  Persian  empire,  Alexander  pushed 
his  conquest  into  Phenicia  Every  place  opened  its  gates  until 
he  came  to  the  ancient  city  Tyre,  where  he  met  a  serious 
check.  Tyre  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Asher,.  but  was  never 
taken  from  the  Canaanites.  Situated  upon  the  sea,  it  became 
a  place  of  great  trade,  opulence  and  splendour.  But  it' 
abounded  also  in  pride  and  wickedness,  and  gloried  over  JerU' 
salem,  the  city  of  God,  when  chastened  of  heaven.  God 
therefore  determined  to  display  over  it  his  righteous  indigna- 
tion, and  by  his  prophets,  he  declared  that  he  would  destroy  it 
Utterly. t  He  first  brought  against  it  Nebuchadnezzar.  It  was  a 
city  of  amazing  strength  and  for  thirteen  years  this  mighty 
potentate  besieged  it,  until  "  every  head  was  made  bald  an5 
every  shoulder  was  peeled."  At  length  it  was  taken  572  B.  C, 
and  the  predictions  of  the  prophets  vvere,  in  part,  fulfilled. 
But  the  inhabitants  removed  themselves  and  their  effects  to  an 
island,  and  it  was  not  utterly  destroyed.  It  was  for  Alexander 
to  complete  the  divine  purpose.  He  found  it  again  populous 
and  strong ;  but  after  a  costly  and  terrible  siege  he  took  the 
city  by  force,  put  8000  of  the  inhabitants  to  the  sword  crucifix 
ed  ^000,  and  sold  30,000  for  slaves.  After  this  it  never  re» 
recovered  its  glory.  It  is  now,  in  fulfilment  of  the  divine  decree, 
a  place  for  fishermen  to  spread  their  nets.  So  true  is  it  that 
God  reigneth  in  the  earth,  and  will  do  all  his  pleasure.  "  The 
Lord  of  hosts  hath  purposed,  and  who  can  disannul." 

The  next  movement  of  this  weapon  of  the  Lord,  was 
against  Jerusalem.  The  Jews,  pleading  their  oath  to  Darius, 
refused  to  furnish  Alexander  with  supplies  for  his  army  while 
encamped  against  Tyre.  This  exceedingly  enraged  that  suc- 
cessful monarch,  and  he  determined  to  wreak  his  vengeance 
upon  Jerusalem.  At  his  approach,  the  Jews  were  thrown  into 
the  greatest  consternation.  They  immediately  offered  to  God 
sacrifices,  prayers  and  supplications  ;  and,  being  directed,  as 
it  is  said,  in  a  vision  by  night,  Jaddua,  the  High  Priest  went 
out  to  meet  the  conqueror,  dressed  in  his  pontifical  robes, 
with  all  the  priests  in  their  sacerdotal  vestments,  and  the  peo- 
ple in  white  garments.     Struck  with  profound  awe  at  the  sol- 


^21.  27.  t  Isaiab,  23.  Ezekiel,  20.  27. 


Chap.  7.  Alexander  at  Jerusalem.  ^3 

6mn  spectacle,  Alexander  hastened  forward,  and  bowed  him- 
self to  the  earth  before  the  High  Priest,  and  worshipped  Jeho- 
vah, whose  name  was  inscribed  on  the  mitre.  Parmenias,  his 
favourite,  astonished  at  his  behaviour,  enquired  why  he  did 
thus  ?  Alexander,  who  well  knew  how  to  improve  every  oc- 
currence in  his  own  favour,  assured  him  that  when  he  was  at 
Dio,  in  Macedonia,  and  dehberating  with  himself  what  he 
should  do,  this  verju  pontiif,  in  this  habit,  appeared  to  him  in  a 
dream  and  encouraged  him  to  pursue  the  war  against  the  Per- 
sians, assuring  him  of  complete  success  in  all  his  undertakings. 
The  king  embraced  the  Iligh  Priest,  entered  Jerusalem  in  a 
friendly  manner,  with  the  procession  ;  and  offered  sacrifices  to 
God  in  the  Temple.  Jaddua  then  shewed  him  the  prophecies 
©f  Daniel,  which  predicted  the  overthrow  of  the  Persian  em- 
pire by  a  Grecian  king.  This  produced  a  feeling  of  great  ex- 
ultation in  the  king,  and  made  him  favour  the  Jewish  nation. 
He  suffered  them  to  remain  unmolested  under  their  own  laws, 
and  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  own  religion  ;  exempted  them 
from  the  usual  tribute,  on  the  seventh  or  sabbatical  year,  and 
gave  many  of  them  a  place,  with  important  privileges,  in  anew 
city  which  he  built  in  Egypt,  and  which  he  called  Alexandria, 
after  his  own  name.  No  power  was  yet  to  destroy  a  place 
where  God  had  recorded  his  name. 

Beholding  the  attention  which  the  conqueror  paid  to  the 
Temple  and  city  of  Jerusalem,  the  Samaritans  immediately  ad- 
vanced to  meet  him  and  asked  the  like  favors  ;  but  as  they 
Were  not  Jews,  they  plead  in  vain  :  and  when,  a  short  time  af- 
ter, some  of  them  mutinied  against  his  Syrian  governor,  he 
•Irove  them  all  from  Samaria  and  planted  there  a  small  colony 
©f  Greeks.  The  Samaritans  retired  to  Shechem  under  mouri 
Gerizim,  the  place  of  their  temple,  and  there  they  have  remain- 
ed to  the  present  time. 

It  will  not  be  uninteresting  to  trace  the  further  course  and 
end  of  this  distinguished  man,  so  plainly  pointed  out  in  pro- 
phecy, and  raised  up  for  the  execution  of  such  important  purpo- 
ses. From  Jerusalem,  Alexander  went  into  Egypt  ;  founded 
the  city  of  Alexandria  and  visited  the  Heathen  Temple  of  Ju- 
piter Ammon,  situated  about  200  miles  in  the  deserts  of  Lybia. 
Having  caused  himself  to  be  declared  the  son  of  thai  Heathen 
god,  he  returned  \o  Syria  and  Persia  ;  overcame  again  the  Per- 
sians who  had  gathered  against  him,  pushed  his  conquests  be- 
yond the  Indus  and  would  gladly  have  gone  beyond  the  Ganges; 
but  his  soldiers  refused  to  follow  him  farther  and  he  returned 
to  Babylon.     There  he  suddenly  died  of  a  fever  produced  by  a 


r 


84  THE   FOUR  HORNS  PERIOD   II. 

drunken  revel,  323  B.  C.  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  his  reign  and 
thirty- third  of  his  age.  Thus,  when  "  the  he-goat  had  waxed 
very  great  and  when  he  was  strong"  "  the  great  horn  was  brok- 
en." He  had  subjected  to  himself  all  the  countries  from  the 
Adriatick  sea  to  the  Ganges,  embracing  all  the  habitable  Vv'orld 
then  known.  God  had  raised  him  up  for  this  purpose.  He 
had  marked  out,  hundred's  of  years  before,  his  victorious 
path.  He  gave  him  his  talents  and  his  s*urcess  and  carried 
him  through  all  his  difficulties.  Alexander  was  unquestiona- 
bly a  great  military  commander.  But  he  knew  not  God.  He 
formed  himself  on  the  model  of  Homer's  heroes,  and  was  de- 
stroyed by  vain  glory.  His  ambition  was  to  conquer  the  world, 
and  to  effect  this  object  he  could  wade  through  seas  of  blood  ; 
totally  regardless  of  human  happiness.  His  triumph  led  him 
to  the  grossest  sensuality,  and  he  died  as  a  fool  dieth,  in  bac- 
chanahan  revelries.  Thus  we  see  that  God,  who  is  higher 
than  the  highest,  can  employ  the  wicked  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
poses, though  they  mean  not  so  ;  and  when  they  have  fulfilled 
his  designs,  then  he  casts  them  out  of  his  hand  as  no  longer  use- 
ful, except  it  be  in  their  everlasting  destruction  for  their  own 
vices  and  follies. 

"  1  he  great  horn  was  broken  and  for  it  came  up  four  nota- 
ble ones  from  toward  the  four  winds  of  heaven."  This  termi- 
nation of  the  distinguished  prophecy  Gabriel  thus  interpreted, 
'*Now,  that  being  broken,  whereas  four  stood  up  for  it,  four 
kingdoms  shall  stand  up  out  of  the  nation,  but  not  in  his  pow- 
er." It  was  now  literally  fulfilled.  Alexander's  brother  and 
sons  took  the  throne,  hut  they  were  all  soon  murdered  and  the 
horn  or  kingdom  was  entirely  broken.  The  governors  of  pro- 
vinces usurped  dominion,  and  being  reduced  to  four,  they  di- 
vided Alexander's  empire  into  four  kingdoms,  which  are  the 
four  horns  which  stood  up  for  the  one  which  was  great  and  ter- 
rible. Cassander  held  Macedon  and  Greece  and  the  more 
western  parts  ;  Lysimachus  had  Thrace,  Bithynia  and  the 
northern  regions  ;  Ptolemy  took  Egypt  and  the  southern  coun- 
tries ;  and  Seleucus,  Syria  and  the  provinces  of  the  east. 

Lying  between  these  various  kingdoms,  Judea  was  often 
greatly  distracted  with  their  wars.  At  first,  it  was  held  by  La- 
omedon,  one  of  Alexander's  captains.  He  was  soon  subdued 
by  Ptolemy.  The  Jews,  however,  would  not  violate  theiw en- 
gagements to  him.  They  therefore  drew  upon  them  the  wrath 
of  Ptolemy,  who,  not  being  able  easily  to  subdue  so  strong  a 
place  as  Jerusalem,  took  advantage  of  their  regard  for  the  Sab- 
bath, entered  tiie  city  unresisted  on  that  holy  day,  and  c?rrie?i 


Chap.  7,        completion  of  the  old  testament.  65 

one  hundred  thousand  of  the  inhabitants  with  him  into  Egypt. 
Their  firm  character  and  sacred  regard  to  their  oath  attracted 
his  favour,  and  he  placed  many  of  them  in  stations  of  power 
and  trust.  Some  he  settled  in  Lybia  and  Cyrene.  From  these 
descended  the  Cyrenian  Jews,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 

In  the  year  292  B.  C.  died  Simon,  called  the  just,  High 
Priest  of  the  Jews.  He  was  a  man  of  distinguished  upright- 
ness and  purity  of  character.  He  was  an  ardent  patriot,  who 
repaired  and  fortified  the  city  and  Temple.  By  him, 
it  is  supposed,  the  canon  of  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  perfected  and  settled  in  the  Jewish  Church.  The 
genealogy  in  the  book  of  Chronicles,  is  evidently  carried  down 
to  about  this  period,  and  some  books,  especially  Malachi,  were 
written  after  Ezra  had  copied  out  the  sacred  writings.  No 
one,  it  is  certain,  later  than  Simon,  ventured  to  perfect  the 
holy  oracles  ;  for  he  was  the  last  of  the  grand  synagogue — a 
council  of  120  elders,  who,  in  regular  succession,  from  the 
time  of  Ezra,  laboured  to  restore  the  Jewish  state  and  extend 
a  correct  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures. 

The  whole  of  the  sacred  books  thus  collected  and  arranged, 
is  called  the  Old  Testament,  simply  because  it  contains  the 
former  covenant,  or  the  Mosaic  dispensation  ;  though  that  in 
reahty  occupies  but  a  very  small  part  of  it — the  historical  books, 
the  book  of  Job,  the  psalms  and  the  prophets  having  no  par- 
ticular connection  with  it.  In  the  arrangement  which  was 
made,  it  is  manifest  to  every  reader,  that  a  strict  order  of  time, 
is  not  observed.  A  division  of  the  books  into  chapters  and 
verses,  was  not  made  until  the  thirteenth  century  of  the  Christian 
era.  Even  a  division  of  letters  into  words  was  then  unknown. 
A  whole  line  was  written  as  though  it  was  one  word. 

Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  who  succeeded  Soter,  285  B.  C.  was 
very  favorable  to  the  Jews.  He  ransomed  many  of  those  who 
had  been  brought  captive  into  Egypt,  and  established  others  on 
favourable  foundations  in  his  own  dominions.  He  was  a  great 
patron  of  learning,  and  collected  a  library  of  seven  hundred 
thousand  volumes  or  manuscripts.  During  his  reign  the  Jewish 
Scriptures  were  translated  from  the  Hebrew  into  the  Greek  lan- 
guage— forming  the  Septuagint  version.  It  was  formerly  the 
popular  belief  from  the  tradition  of  one  Aristeas,  that,  desirous 
of  forming  a  perfect  library  and  hearing  of  the  books  of  Mo- 
ses, Ptolemy  sent  to  Jerusalem  for  seventy  elders,  who  came 
to  Alexandria,  where  they  were  shut  up  in  the  island  of  Pha- 

8 


S6  SEPTUAGINT.  PERIOD  \L 

ros  in  separate  cells,  until  each  one  had  translated  a  particular 
period  ;  that  these  translations  all  being  compared  and  found 
to  agree,  were  approved  ;  when  the  elders  were  sent  back  with 
magnificent  presents.  But  this  opinion  is  now  exploded,  and 
it  is  commonly  supposed  that  this  Greek  version  was  made  pri- 
vately at  Alexandria,  by  learned  Jews,  who  had  been  carried 
thither  by  Ptolemy  Soter,  and  who  retained  the  Hebrew,  and 
had  become  conversant  with  the  Greek  language.  But  in 
whatever  way  the  Septuagint  was  formed,  the  translation  was  a 
great  event.  The  Scriptures  had  hitherto  been  locked  up  in  a 
language,  known  only  to  a  small,  obscure  and  despised  people. 
And  not  only  so,  but  even  among  the  Jews,  the  Hebrew  ceas- 
ed to  be  spoken  as  a  living  language,  soon  after  the  Babylonish 
captivity.  The  sacred  books  were  now  put  into  the  popular 
language  of  the  age,  the  language  of  courts,  of  armies  and  ofht- 
erature.  The  Jews  who  were  scattered  over  the  earth,  and 
who  were  fast  changing  their  language  for  the  Greek,  found 
the  Scriptures  following  them,  and  legible  by  them.  This 
version  was  soon  brought  into  universal  and  common  use. 
Christ  and  his  Evangehsts  and  Apostles  quoted  from  it,  though 
they  lived  in  Judea.  From  this  all  the  early  versions  were 
made — thelllyrian,  the  Gothic,  the  Arabic,  the  Ethiopic,  the 
Armenian  and  the  Syriac.  It  was  in  common  use  in  the  church- 
es for  several  centuries  after  Christ,  and  is  to  this  day,  in  the 
Greek  and  most  of  the  oriental  churches.  It  generally  ex- 
presses the  same  sentiments  with  the  Hebrew,  though  often  in 
very  different  terms. 

Such  Jews  as  mingled  with  the  Greeks  after  the  conquests 
■of  Alexander,  spoke  their  language  and  used  the  Septuagint 
version,  were  called  Hellenist  Jews. 

Though  the  Jews  remained  subject  to  the  Egyptians,  yet 
other  nations,  beholding  their  diligence  and  fidelity,  were  ve- 
ry favourable  to  them,  and  granted  them  many  privileges. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  with  Seleuus  Nicator,  king 
of  Macedon,  who  allowed  them  the  same  privileges  with  his 
own  subjects. 

About  the  year  217  B.  C.  Antiochus  the  great,  king  of  Sy- 
ria, resolved  to  conquer  Jerusalem.  But  Ptolemy  Philopater 
king  of  Egypt,  resisted  him  and  drove  him  back  to  his  own  ter- 
ritories. The  Jews,  in  consequence  of  this,  paid  him  great  hom- 
age, and  cordially  welcomed  him  to  their  city.  Coming  into 
the  Temple,  Ptolemy  offered  sacrifices  to  the  God  of  heaven, 
nn(J  made  many  gifts  to  the  people.     But  he  would  not  Icav^ 


Chap.  7.      ptolemy  violates  the  holy  op  holies.         87 

the  place  until  he  had  seen  the  Holy  of  hoHes.  Against  this, 
the  priests  and  people  solemnly  remonstrated  as  an  awful  pro- 
fanation, which  would  bring  upon  him  and  them  the  vengeance 
of  heaven.  But  the  more  he  was  opposed,  the  more  deter- 
mined he  became,  and  pressing  his  way  into  the  most  holy 
place,  he  was  smitten  with  inexpressible  terror,  and  carried 
out  by  his  attendants. 

He  returned  to  Egypt  in  great  wrath  with  the  Jews  and  bit- 
terly persecuted  all  who  were  in  his  dominions.  He  first  for- 
bade every  man  access  to  him  who  did  not  sacrifice  to  his  gods. 
He  next  directed  that  the  Jews  who  by  the  favor  of  Alexan- 
der had  held  the  first  rank,  should  be  enrolled  in  the  third  ov 
lowest,  and  that  when  enrolled,  they  should  be  stamped  with 
an  hot  iron,  with  the  mark  of  his  god  Bacchus  ;  and  that  if 
any  refused  enrolment  they  should  be  put  to  death.  He  then 
ordained  that  as  many  as  would  renounce  their  religion  and  be- 
come Heathen,  should  be  restored  to  their  former  privileges  ; 
but  only  three  hundred  out  of  the  many  thousands  in  Alexan- 
dria, were  seduced  to  apostacy.  He  finally  resolved  upon 
the  destruction  of  the  whole  nation.  And  first  gathering  to- 
gether the  Jews  in  Egypt  and  binding  them  in  chains,  he  let 
loose  upon  them  his  elephants  ;  but  these,  having  been  made 
drunk  with  wine  and  frankincense,  turned  upon  the  spectators 
and  made  dreadful  havoc  among  them.  Ptolemy,  fearing  the 
vengeance  of  heaven,  turned  from  all  his  wicked  purposes  and 
restored  the  Jews  to  their  former  privileges. 

The  Samaritans  improved  every  opportunity  which  was  af- 
forded, to  shew  their  enmity  to  the  Jews.  They  often  plun- 
dered and  ravaged  parts  of  their  country  and  carried  many  of 
the  inhabitants  into  captivity,  selling  them  for  slaves.  Thiff 
was  particularly  the  case  during  the  reign  of  Ptolemy  Philo- 
pater. 

This  oppressed  people  saw  again,  at  the  death  of  Ptolemy, 
(B.  C.  204)  days  of  prosperity  ;  for  wearied  with  allegiance 
to  Egypt,  they  placed  themselves  under  the  protection  of  An- 
tiochus,  the  great,  king  of  Syria,  and  offered  him  their  assis- 
tance. Antiochus  rewarded  them  by  a  restoration  of  Jeru- 
salem to  its  ancient  privileges.  He  also  liberated  all  who  were 
slaves  in  captivity  ;  exempted  all  the  Jews  who  should  return 
to  their  capital  from  taxes,  for  three  years  ;  and  presented  a 
large  sum  from  his  own  private  purse  for  repairing  the  Tem- 
ple. Antiochus  was  assassinated  187  B.  C.  for  robbing  the 
temple  ofBelus  of  its  treasures.     He  was  called  the  Great, 


88  DESOLATIONS    OF   JERUSALE3I  PeRIOD  II. 

because  of  his  valor,  prudence,  industry  and  success.  The 
transactions  of  his  life  and  the  wars  in  which  he  was  engaged 
with  Ptolemy,  were  accurately  delineated  in  the  eleventh°chap- 
ter  of  the  prophecy  of  Daniel,  from  the  tenth  to  the  nineteenth 
verse. 

Under  his  son  and  successor  Seleucus,  the  Jews  enjoyed 
the  privileges  and  immunities  which  had  been  granted  them  by 
Antiochus  ;  and  might  have  enjoyed  many  years  of  peace  and 
quietness,  had  it  not  been  for  a  bitter  contention  between  Si- 
mon the  governor  of  the  Temple,  and  Onias,  the  High  priest. 
The  former  proving  unsuccessful,  fled  to  Apollonius,  governor 
of  Palestine,  and  gave  him  an  exaggerated  account  of  the  treas 
ures  in  the  Temple.  When  Seleucus  heard  of  them,  he  resol- 
ved to  possess  them,  and  sent  his  treasurer  to  bring  them 
away.  But,  while  in  the  act  of  robbery,  Heliodorus,  the  treas- 
urer, was  suddenly  struck  with  awful  terror,  by  a  vision,  which 
caused  him  instantly  to  quit  the  city,  fearing  the  power  and 
wrath  of  God.  The  whole  of  the  reign  of  Seleucus  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  twentieth  verse  of  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Dan 
iel     He  was  little  besides  "  a  raiser  of  taxes." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Desolations  of  Jerusalem  under  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  Jason 
erects  a  gymnasium.  Temple  shut  up  for  three  years.  Bold 
and  artful  plot  of  Antiochus  to  extirpate  the  Church.  THq 
Temple  consecrated  to  Juoif^r  0!y7r,pUs.  Jetmsn  martyrdoms. 
General  revolt  under  Matathias.  Wars  of  the  Maccabees. 
Death  of  Antiochus.  Pi-opheciesfidflledinhim.  Destruc- 
tion of  the  Grecian^  and  establishment  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire,  the  legs  andjeet  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  image.  Prospe- 
rous state  of  the  Jeivs  under  Jonathan  and  Simon.  Apocry- 
phal books. 

We  have  hitherto  contemplated  the  Jews  in  favourable 
circumstances.  They  had  had  some  internal  conflicts,  and 
outward  oppressions,  but  they  had  also  enjoyed  the  protection 
of  mighty  monarchs,  and  had  become  a  populous  and  wealthy 
nation.  Vital  piety  had  exceedingly  declined,  especially  after 
the  death  of  Simon  the  Just ;  but  the  Temple  stood  in  its  glo- 
ry, and  its  service  was  strictly  observed.  But  we  are  now  to 
contemplate  an  awful  and  melancholy  reverse.     We  are  to 


'Chap.  8.  under  antiochus  epiphanes.      '  69 

behold  the  whole  nation  nearly  destroyed  ;  their  religion  al- 
most extirpated,  and  the  Temple  of  Jehovah  dedicated  to 
Jupiter  Olympus. 

The  successor  of  Seleucus  in  the  Syrian  monarchy,  was 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  He  took  the  throne,  175  B.C.  The 
prophet  Daniel  predicted  that  he  should  be  "  a  vile  person."* 
Such  he  proved  himself,  by  all  his  private  and  public  conduct. 
The  first  of  his  acts,  which  seriously  affected  the  Jews,  was. 
his  seUing  the  High  priesthood  to  Jason,  brother  to  Onias,  the 
reigning  High  priest,  for  360  talents,  about  90,000  pounds  ster- 
ling ;  and  issuing  an  order  for  the  removal  of  Onias,  a  person 
worthy  of  this  sacred  trust,  to  Antioch  ;  there  to  be  confined 
for  life.  Jason,  despising  the  rehgion  of  his  ancestors,  and 
resolved  to  make  himself  popular  with  the  unprincipled 
youth  of  his  nation,  procured  also  a  royal  decree  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  Gymnasium,  or  place  for  games  and  amusements,  simi- 
lar to  those  established  in  Grecian  cities  ;  and  by  example 
and  rewards,  encouraged  the  people  to  attend  upon  it,  and 
conform  to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  heathen.  The 
flood  gates  of  vice  being  set  open,  all  respect  for  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  the  Temple  was  soon  swept  away ; — the  very 
priests  mingled  in  the  amusements  of  the  Gymnasium,  the  al- 
tar of  God  was  forsaken,  and  vice,  immoraUty  and  infidelity 
stalked  forth  triumphant. 

Jason,  however,  enjoyed  his  power  but  a  short  period.  Af- 
ter a  reign  of  three  years,  he  was  supplanted  by  Menelaus  his 
brother,  a  greater  monster  in  wickedness  than  himself,  B.  C. 
174.  Such  men  sought  the  office,  first  because  it  was  heredita- 
ry in  their  family  ;  but  chiefly,  because  it  now  embraced  the 
temporal  government  of  Jerusalem.  Menelaus  pubhcly  apos- 
tatized to  the  religion  of  the  Greeks,  and  drew  as  many  as  pos- 
sible in  his  train.  He  sold  the  sacred  vessels  from  the  sanc- 
tuary to  pay  the  enormous  sum  of  three  hundred  talents,  by  which 
he  had  supplanted  his  brother  ;  and  caused  Onias,  who  had 
reproved  him  for  his  sacrilege,  to  be  put  to  death.  But  some 
virtue  remained  with  the  people,  for  they  resented  this  sacri- 
lege, put  to  death  the  instrument  by  which  it  was  effected,  and 
sent  messengers  to  Antiochus  complaining  of  its  vile  author. 

In  strict  fulfilment  of  the  divine  prediction  m  Daniel  xi.  25, 
this  vile  king  advanced  with  his  armies  and  conquered  Egypt. 
Ptolemy  Philometer  fell  into  his  hands,  but  he  was  not  deslroy- 


Daniel,  xi.  !• 

8* 


90  JERUSALEM   SACKED.  PeRIOD  II. 

ed.  On  the  contrary  he  had  his  liberty  and  sat  at  the  table  of 
Antiochus,  as  Daniel  predicted  he  would,  v.  27. — "And  both 
these  king's  hearts  shall  be  to  do  mischief,  and  they  shall  speak 
lies  at  one  table."  The  Jews  had  a  false  report  of  his  death, 
and  Jason  immediately  marched  into  the  city  with  a  thousand 
men,  to  avenge  himself  on  Menelaus.  Antiochus  hearing  of 
this,  and  of  the  rejoicings  in  Jerusalem,  supposed  that  the 
whole  city  and  nation  had  revolted  from  him,  and  hastily 
marched  into  Jerusalem,  put  to  death  40,000  persons,  and  sold 
an  equal  number  for  slaves.  He  broke  into  the  Holy  of  ho- 
lies, robbed  the  temple  of  the  altar  of  incense,  the  shew  bread, 
table  and  the  candlestick  of  seven  branches  which  were  all  of 
gold,  the  recent  gifts  of  friendly  monarchs  ;  and,  to  shew  his 
contempt  and  hatred  of  the  Jewish  rehgion,  he  sacrificed  a 
hog  upon  the  altar  of  burnt  offering.  He  made  Phihp,  a  man  of 
ferocious  spirit,  governor  of  Judea,  and  restored  Menelaus  to 
the  High  Priesthood.  Jason  died  a  miserable  vagabond.  In 
about  two  years,  the  Egyptians  revolted  from  Antiochus,  and 
he  again  fell  furiously  on  them.  But  the  Romans  interpo- 
sed, and  demanded  a  cessation  of  hostilities.  Antiochus,  hav- 
ing read  the  decree  of  the  senate,  said  he  would  consult  with 
his  friends  about  it.  But  the  Roman  Ambassador  drew  around 
him  a  circle  in  the  sand,  and  required  his  answer  before  he 
passed  its  bounds.  Afraid  of  this  bold  and  rising  power  he 
acquiesced  ;  but  he  turned  and  wreaked  his  vengeance  on 
the  unoffending  Jews.  He  sent  iwenty-two  thousand  men  under 
Apollonius,  to  sack  Jerusalem.  The  inhabitants  were  una- 
ware of  his  horrid  intentions,  until  the  sabbath  after  his  arri- 
val ;  when,  all  being  assembled  for  worship,  he  let  loose  upon 
them  his  troops,  who  butchered  all  the  men  within  their  reach, 
took  the  women  and  children  to  sell  for  slaves;  set  fire  to  the 
houses  ;  demolished  the  walls  and  carried  away  all  the  treas- 
ure. The  Temple  was  suffered  to  stand,  but  a  fortress  was 
built  near  it  for  the  molestation  of  all  who  should  approach  it ; 
so  that  no  one  dared  to  come  near,  and  the  daily  sacrifice  ceas- 
ed. Such  as  escaped  the  carnage  fled  to  the  mountains  and 
lived  in  great  distress  and  hardships. 

Antiochus  gloried  in  the  greatest  barbarities.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  Daniel,  he  had  peculiar  "  indignation  against  the 
holy  covenant,"  and  he  determined  to  destroy  the  Jewish  reli- 
gion or  extirpate  the  nation.  He  issued  therefore,  a  decree 
that  all  nations  within  his  dominions,  should  forsake  their  for- 
mer rites  an4  usages,  an  \  should  conform   to  the  religion   ot 


I 


Chap.  8.     the  temple  consecrated  to  jupiter,  91 

the  king  and  worship  as  he  worshipped,  under  the  severest  pen- 
alties. To  ensure  success,  he  placed  inspectors  in  every  prov- 
ince and  directed  them  to  treat  the  disobedient  (and  these  ho 
knew  would  be  Jews  only)  with  the  greatest  severity.  An  old 
and  cruel  minister,  one  Atheneas,  was  sent  to  Jerusalem  witli 
a  commission  to  destroy  any  one  who  offered  sacrifices 
to  the  God  of  Israel,  or  observed  the  Sabbath,  or  practised 
circumcision.  He  consecrated  the  Temple  of  Jehovah,  to  Ju- 
piter Olympus,  and  set  up  his  statue  upon  the  altar  of  burnt-of- 
fering. He  also  set  up  altars,  groves,  and  statues  in  all  parts 
of  his  dominion,  and  required  an  absolute  uniformity  of  wor- 
ship, or  the  forfeiture  of  life.  It  was  one  of  the  boldest  at- 
tempts to  extirpate  the  religion  of  a  nation,  ever  made. 

But  God  was  in  the  midst  of  his  Church,  and  the  gates  of 
hell  could  not  prevail  against  her.  The  land  might  be  deso- 
late ;  the  temple  might  be  shut  up  or  polluted  ;  the  daily  sac- 
rifice might  cease,  but  there  were  many  temples  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  which  the  fire  of  devotion  burned  with  unwonted 
brightness.  It  was  however  an  awful  season  foj^the  Jews. 
They  were  hid  in  the  caves  of  the  rocks  where  they  worship- 
ped* God  and  subsisted  on  roots  and  herbs.  Hypocrites  threw 
off  their  disguises  and  proclaimed  themselves  Heathen  ;  and 
the  Samaritans,  who  had  said  to  the  Jews  in  their  prosperity, 
we  will  go  with  you,  for  we  are  bone  of  your  bone,  now  ran  to 
Antiochus  and  declared  themselves  not  to  be  Jews  and  reques- 
ted that  their  Temple  might  be  dedicated  to  the  Grecian  Jupi- 
ter. When  the  saints  were  brought  to  martyrdom,  their  in 
trepid  firmness  filled  the  tyrant  with  rage  and  madness.  Among 
others  who  were  put  to  a  violent  death  were  the  venerable  Ei- 
eazer,  and  an  aged  woman  with  her  seven  sons.  Their  trium- 
phant deaths  strengthened  their  brethren,  and  the  tyrant  found 
it  was  not  in  his  power  to  destroy  the  worship  of  Jehovah. 

To  violence  Antiochus  added  the  most  seducing  arts  to  bring 
the  Jews  to  a  compliance  with  his  orders.  Among  his  chief 
ofiicers  was  one  Apelles,  whom  he  sent  to  the  city  of  Modin, 
there  to  establish  the  heathen  worship.  Apelles  assembled  the 
people,  and  addressing  Mattathias,  a  venerable  priest  of  the 
Asmonean  family,  endeavoured,  by  compliment  and  promises, 
to  induce  him  to  lead  the  way  in  apostatising  from  God  and  sa- 
crificing to  the  idol.  But  Mattathias  feared  God  ;  and,  with  a 
loud  voice,  declared,  in  hearing  of  all  the  people,  that  "no 
consideration  whatsoever  should  induce  him  or  any  of  his  fami- 
ly, ever  to  forsake  the  law  of  their  God  5  but  that  they  would 


92  ^^'ARs  OF  Period  IL 

still  walk  in  the  covenant,  which  he  had  made  with  their  fore- 
fathers and  observe  all  its  ordinances,  and  that  no  commands 
of  the  king  should  make  any  of  then,  depart  from  it."  Of  such 
a  man  the  world  was  not  worthy.  He  stood  for  God  in  defi- 
ance of  the  greatest  dangers.  Looking  round,  he  beheld  an  a- 
postate  already  bowing  before  the  idol  which  Apelles  had  set 
up.  Immediately,  with  the  zeal  and  spirit  of  Phinehas,  and  in 
obedience  to  the  law  of  Moses,  he  ran  upon  him  and  slew  him. 
By  the  assistance  of  his  sons  he  slew  also  Apelles  and  those 
who  attended  him,  destroyed  the  idol  and  then  fled  to  the  moun- 
tains. 

It  was  the  signal  for  revolt.  It  was  the  commencement  of  a 
defensive  war,  which  terminated  in  the  deliverance  of  Judah. 
Large  numbers  of  Jews  flocked  immediately  to  his  standard  and 
made  a  bold  and  vigorous  defence  of  their  civil  and  religious 
privileges.  Finding  that  the  royal  army  took  great  advantage 
of  the  Sabbath  ;  Mattathias  and  his  party  agreed  to  defend 
themselves  on  that  holy  day.  Their  adversaries  therefore  had 
no  opportunity  to  gain  advantages  over  them  as  before  ;  but 
were  struck  with  terror  at  their  boldness  and  fortitude,  and  eve- 
ry where  yielded  before  them.  The  graven  images  were  des- 
troyed ;  the  Jewish  synagogues  were  opened  ;  the  law  and  the 
prophets*  were  read  ;  the  practice  of  circumcision  was  revived ; 
and,  in  the  short  space  of  a  year,  there  was  a  general  restora- 
tion of  religious  order. 

Mattathias  was  permitted  to  enjoy  but  a  little  season  his  holy 
triumphs.  The  close  of  the  year,  166  B.  C.  saw  him  resting 
from  his  labours.  With  his  dying  breath  he  exhorted  his  sons- 
to  constancy  and  courage  in  defence  of  their  liberties  and  the 
religion  of  their  fathers.  His  son  Judas,  was  appointed  his  suc- 
cessor. He  raised  a  small  but  resolute  army  and  erected  his 
standard,  on  which  was  inscribed  a  motto  from  Exodus  16. — 
-'  Who  is  like  unto  thee  among  the  gods,  O  Jehovah."  This 
was  written  by  an  abbreviation,  formed  by  putting  the  initial 
letters  of  the  Hebrew  words  together,  which  made  the  word 
Maccabees.  Hence,  all  who  fought  under  this  standard  were 
called  Maccabees  or  Maccabeans. 

Judas  was  an  illustrious  warrior.     He  soon  made  the  Syri- 
ans, the  Samaritans  and  apostate    Jews   tremble   before  him. 


*  Antiochus  forbad  the  reading  of  the  law  in  the  synagogues,  and  the 
Jews  substituted  the  prophets.  From  this  time  both  the  law  and  the 
prophets  were  read  every  Sabbath  day. 


Chap.  8.  the  Maccabees.  93 

Powerful  armies  were  sent  against  him,  but  were  obliged  to 
retire  in  ignominy.  In  his  last  battle  he  gained  a  signal  victory 
with  about  3000  men,  over  Lysias  the  Syrian  governor,  with 
an  army  of  65,000.  The  latter  abandoning  all  attempts  to 
subdue  the  victorious  Maccabees,  they  marched  to  Jerusalem, 
destroyed  the  idols  which  Antiochus  had  sot  up  ;  pulled 
down  the  altar  which  the  heathens  had  erected  ;  purified  the 
temple,  made  anew  altar,  candlestick  and  table  of  pure  gold  ; 
hung  a  new  veil  before  the  Holy  of  holies  and  caused  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  which  had  been  interrupted  for  three  years  and  an 
half,  to  be  resumed  in  its  primitive  splendour.  In  commemo- 
ration of  this  event  an  annual  festival  was  appointed  called  the 
feast  of  dedication,  which  was  continued  until  the  days  of  our 
Saviour  and  honored  by  his  presence.  The  Jews,  however, 
were  unable  to  take  the  tower  which  overlooked  the  Temple. 
This  and  the  continual  incursions  of  the  surrounding  nations, 
who  were  exasperated  at  the  re-establishment  of  the  Jewish 
nation  and  religion,  marred  exceedingly  the  happiness  of  the 
people,  kept  them  humble  and  tried  their  confidence  in  God, 
amid  the  most  astonishing  victories. 

While  the  Maccabees  had  been  regaining  their  liberties,  An- 
tiochus was  engaged  in  wars  in  the  east ;  but  no  sooner  had  in- 
telligence reached  him  of  their  boldness  and  success,  than  he 
was  filled  with  violent  rage,  and  he  resolved  upon  the  entire 
extirpation  of  the  whole  house  of  Israel.  But  no  sooner  had 
he  made  his  vow  and  sat  out  upon  his  march  toward  the  devo- 
ted nation,  than  he  was  seized  with  an  incurable  and  horrid  dis- 
ease which  soon  put  an  end  to  his  life,  164  B.  C.  With  hi^ 
(lying  breath,  he  sckpf^wlsugeci  that  las  siilfcrihgs  were  justly 
inflicted  by  the  God  of  Israel,  for  his  bitter  persecutions  of  that, 
people.  This  vile  prince  and  great  oppressor  of  the  Church 
of  God,  was  more  particularly  pointed  out  by  Daniel,  in  his 
eleventh  chapter,  from  the  20th  verse,  than  any  other  ruler 
whom  he  noticed.  Porphyry,  one  of  the  most  bitter  enemies 
to  Christianity,  acknowledged  that  no  prophecies  were  ever 
delivered  more  clearly,  or  fulfilled  more  exactly,  but  said  they 
were  written  after  the  events  foretold  had  taken  place,  and 
were  no  other  than  historical  narratives.  But  Daniel's  prophe- 
cies were  written  in  Chaldee,  and  had  actually  been  translated 
into  Greek  before  any  of  these  events  transpired. 

About  this  time  the  Grecian  empire,  denoted  by  the  belly 
and  thighs  of  brass  of  Nebuchadnezzer's  image,  was  over- 
thrown, and  the  Roman,  marked  out  by  the  legs  of  iron  and  the 
feet  part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay  established.     The  Romans 


94  JUDAS       MACCABEUS.  PeRIOD    II 

founded  their  city,  754  B.  C.  ;  yet  they  were  but  little  known 
in  the  east  until  about  274  B.  C.  when,  hearing  of  their  victo- 
ries over  the  nations  around  them,  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  king 
of  Egypt,  sent  ambassadors  to  make  an  aUiance  with  them. 
This  led  them  to  interfere  in  the  contentions  of  the  eastern  mon- 
archs,  until,  finally,  they  brought  them  all  under  their  dominion 
and  established  the  most  extensive  and  powerful  empire  the 
world  had  seen.  But  the  feet  were  part  of  iron  and  part  of 
clay.  As  the  Romans  extended  their  dominion,  they  embra- 
ced in  their  empire  vast  hordes  of  barbarous  nations,  which  so 
weakened  it  that  it  was  ultimately  divided  into  ten  lesser 
kingdoms,  denoted  by  the  ten  toes  of  the  image. 

The  efforts  of  Judas,  after  the  death  of  Antiochus,  to  de- 
fend himself  against  the  heathen  nations  around  Jerusalem 
who  had  confederated  to  destroy  all  who  worshipped  Jehovah, 
were  uniformly  successful.  This  exceedingly  enraged  Lysias, 
the  guardian  of  the  young  monarch,  Antiochus  Eupator,  who 
immediately  brought  against  Jerusalem  an  army  of  80,000 
men  with  all  the  horse  of  the  kingdom  and  80  elephants,  de- 
termining to  make  Jerusalem  an  habitation  for  the  Gentiles, 
set  the  high  priesthood  for  sale,  and  make  gain  of  the  Temple. 
But  Judas  and  his  army  having  as  usual  implored  aid  from 
lieaven,  fell  upon  him,  slew  eleven  thousand  foot  and  sixteen 
hundred  horsemen  and  put  all  the  rest  to  flight.  Peace  ensu- 
ed. Through  the  influence  of  the  Romans,  the  Jews  were  no 
longer  obliged  to  conform  to  the  religion  of  the  Greeks,  but 
were  permitted  every  where  to  live  according  to  their  own 
laws.  This  was  the  first  time  the  Church  of  God  ever  felt  the 
pdwer  of  Rome.     B.  C.  163. 

But  this  peace  was  of  short  duration.  The  war  was  first 
renewed  by  the  men  of  Joppa-  Judas  was  again  successful 
and  laid  siege  to^  the  tower  of  Acra,  which  overlooked  the 
Temple.  This  brought  from  Antioch  the  young  king  with  an 
hundred  thousand  foot,  twenty  thousand  horse,  thirty-two 
elephants  and  three  hundred  chariots  of  war.  Tiie  watch- 
word of  Judas  was  "  Victory  is  of  God."  Having  given 
this,  he  attacked  the  enemy  and  made  a  great  slaughter,  but 
was  unable  to  resist  such  a  mighty  force  and  retreated  into 
Jerusalem.  The  monarch  pursued  and  laid  siege  to  the  sanc- 
tuary. The  Jews  defended  themselves  with  bravery  and  were 
reduced  to  the  lowest  extremities,  when  the  royal  army  was 
called  away  to  quell  a  rebellion  in  Syria.  A  truce  was  granted 
and  the  king  was  admitted  within  the  walls.  These  he  promised 
to  leave  untouched  ;  but  beholding  their  strength,  he  disre 
jrarded  his  oath  and  levelled  them  with  the  dust. 


I 


'ChAP>   8.  JONATHAN      MACCA    EUfc'.  95 

I 

The  apostate  High-priest  Menelaus  now  hoped  for  a  restora- 
tion to  his  office,  but  his  character  was  well  understood  by  the 
Syrian  government  and  they  condemned  him  to  a  horrid  death 
and  appointed  Alcimus,  a  man  of  equal  baseness,  to  the  office. 
The  people  however  refused  to  admit  him  to  the  altar.  It 
had  been  predicted  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  that  there  should  "  be 
an  altar  to  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the  Land  of  Egypt,"  and 
Onias,  the  proper  heir  to  the  priest-hood,  indignant  at  this 
appointment,  went  thither  and,  on  the  ground  of  this  prophecy, 
petitioned  Ptolemy  to  grant  him  liberty  to  erect  a  Temple  in  his 
dominions.  The  Egyptian  king  assigned  him  a  place  in  Heho- 
pilis,  the  city  of  the  Sun.  A  temple  was  erected,  after  the 
model  of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  divine  worship  was 
instituted.  This  temple  stood  224  years,  when  it  was  destroy- 
ed by  Vespasian. 

Alcimus,  rejected  of  the  people,  sought  protection  of  De- 
metrius, the  monarch  of  Syria.  Powerful  armies  were  sent  to  his 
support.  For  protection,  Judas  sought  an  alliance  with  the 
Romans.  A  league  of  mutual  defence  was  made.  But  before 
the  embassy  had  returned,  the  royal  armies  were  but  too  suc- 
cessful ;  the  small  army  of  Judas  was  surrounded  and  he  fell, 
covered  with  wounds,  a  martyr  to  his  country.      160  B.  C. 

The  death  of  this  illustrious  warrior  was  a  severe  stroke  to 
the  Jewish  nation.  They  were  at  once  scattered  and  devour- 
ed as  sheep  before  ravenous  wolves.  Their  calamities  had 
never  been  greater  than  they  now  were,  since  the  captivity, 
Still,  however,  hoping  in  God,  the  Jews  flocked  around  Jona- 
than, the  brother  of  Judas,  and  made  him  their  leader. 

Jonathan  appears  not  to  have  possessed  the  military  prowess 
of  his  brother  ;  but  he  was  a  man  of  courage  and  prudence. 
He  continued  at  the  head  of  the  nation  seventeen  years,  when 
he  and  his  children  and  about  a  thousand  of  his  guards  were 
treacherously  assassinated  by  Tryphon,  a  Syrian  usurper,  in  the 
city  of  Ptolemaic,  144  B.  C.  But  two  years  was  he  troubled 
by  the  Syrians,  with  whom  his  brother  had  had  such  terrible 
conflicts.  For  finding  so  able  a  commander  at  the  head  of  the  '^ 
Jewish  forces,  and  being  disturbed  by  their  own  internal  divi- 
sions, they  made  peace  and  solemnly  enn;aged  never  to  renew 
the  war. 

Jonathan  improved  the  season  of  peace  for  the  restoration  of 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  order.  He  repaired  the  wall  of  Jerusa- 
lem and  formed  alliances  with  the  Romans.  The  wicked  Al- 
cimus, having  the  presumption  to  break  down  the  wall  which 
had  been  built  round  the  sanctuary,  by  order  of  the  prophets 


06  APOCHRYPHAL   BOOKS.  PERIOD  II 

Haggai  and  Zechariah,  to  separate  the  Gentiles  from  the  Jews, 
was,  it  is  said,  smitten  of  God  and  perished  in  agony.  The 
priesthood  remained  vacant  for  seven  years,  when  the  people 
pressed  it  upon  Jonathan,  and  the  appointment  was  confirmed 
by  the  Syrian  monarch. 

Tryphon,  the  base  murderer  of  Jonathan,  aiming  at  the 
throne  of  Syria,  immediately  besieged  Jerusalem  ;  but  the  peo- 
ple elevated  Simon,  the  surviving  brother  of  Judas  and  Jona- 
than, to  the  head  of  the  army,  and  he  was  afraid  to  make  any 
attack.  Simon  continued  both  general  and  high  priest  for  the 
term  of  eight  years  ;  when  he  was  treacherously  murdered  by 
his  son  in  law,  B.  C.  135.  His  reign  was  one  of  much  pros- 
perity to  the  Jewish  nation.  They  had  friendly  alliances  with 
the  Romans  and  Lacedemonians  ;  enjoyed  the  civil  and  reli- 
gious institutions  of  their  fathers,  and  were  victorious  over  the 
petty  marauders  who  troubled  them.  Simon  erected  at  Modin  a 
very  costly  monument  of  white  marble  over  the  sepulchre  of  his 
father  and  brothers,  which  was,  for  centuries,  a  famous  sea- 
mark, and  which  was  standing  so  late  as  the  days  of  Eusebius. 
200  years  after  Christ. 

With  the  death  of  Simon  terminates,  what  is  usually  called, 
the  history  of  the  Maccabees.  This  history  is  chiefly  contain- 
ed in  the  first  book  of  the  Maccabees,  which  was  probably  writ- 
ten by  some  contemporary  author,  who  had  been  an  actor  in  the 
scenes  which  he  so  minutely  and  feehngly  describes.  It  was 
never  admitted  into  the  sacred  canon,  but  approaches  nearer 
the  style  of  sacred  history  than  any  work  extant,  and  is  gener-^ 
ally  received  as  an  accurate  account  of  the  events  of  that  peri- 
od. From  it,  Josephus  chiefly  copied  the  history  of  that  peri- 
od. The  second  book  of  Maccabees  consists  of  several  pieces 
compiled  together.  It  is  written  with  much  less  accuracy  than 
the  first,  and  contains  much  that  is  extravagant  and  fabulous. 

The  Apocrypal  books,  which  are  often  printed  and  bound 
with  the  sacred  volume,  were  all  probably  written  in  these  la- 
ter days  of  the  Jewish  Church.  They  are  therefore  venerable 
for  their  antiquity  ;  and  some  of  them,  as  the  first  book  of  Mac- 
cabees, impart  valuable  historical  information  ;  others,  as  the 
books  of  Wisdom  and  Ecclesiasticus,  aflbrd  much  useful  in- 
struction ;  but  none  of  them  have  any  title  to  inspiration. 
They  were  never  admitted  into  the  canon  of  the  Jews,  to  whoni 
alone  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God.  They  formed  no 
part  of  the  Septuagint  version.  They  were  never  quoted  ei- 
ther as  prophetic  or  doctrinal,  by  our  Saviour  or  his  Apostles. 
Some  of  their  authors  disclaim  all  pretensions  to  inspiration  ; 


Chap.  9.  prosperity  of  the  jews.  97 

and  some  of  them  contain  thinirs  which  are  weak  and  low  ;  ut- 
terly inconsistent  with  probability  and  chronology,  and  at  vari- 
ance with  the  general  character  of  divine  truth.  They  are  con- 
sidered as  canonical,  and  as  of  equal  autliority  with  the  writings 
of  Moses  and  the  prophets  by  the  Church  of  Rome  ;  but  they 
certainly  ought  never  to  be  connected  or  circulated  with  the 
sacred  volume. 


CHAP.  IX. 

Prosperous  state  of  the  Jews  under  Hyrcanns.  Royalty  re- 
established. Jerusaleyji  taken  hy  the  Romans.  End  of  the 
Asmonean  princes.  Herod  the  Great.  The  Temple  repair^ 
ed  and  enlarged.  Birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  men. 
Family  f  Herod.  Sceptre  departed  from  Judah.  Reli- 
gious sects  among  the  Jeios — Pharisees^  Sadducees,  Essenes^ 
Hcrodians,  Galileans^  Karaites.  Different  orders  of  men — 
ScribeSy  Rabbis,  Nazaritcs.  Wickedness  of  the  Jeivs,  and 
of  the  Heathen.  State  of  the  Civil  World.  Refections  on  the 
providence  of  God. 

Simon  was  succeeded  in  the  Jewish  government  and  priest- 
hood, by  his  son,  John  Hyrcanus,  135  B.  C.  Antiocims  Side* 
tes,  king  of  Syria,  hearing  of  the  death  of  Simon,  marched 
against  Jerusalem,  determined  to  subdue  it.  A  tremendous 
siege  ensued,  and  the  inhabitants  almost  perished  by  famine. 
They  sued,  at  length,  for  peace.  Antiochus  granted  it,  requir- 
ing the  Jews  to  deliver  up  their  arms,  demolish  their  fortifica- 
tions, and  paj  him  an  annual  tribute.  The  sudden  death  of 
this  monarch  enabled  the  Jews  soon  after,  to  cast  off  the  foreign 
yoke,  and  they  were  never  again  subjected  to  the  Syrian  power, 
Hyrcanus  maintained  his  authority  twenty-nine  years,  and  died 
in  peace,  greatly  lamented.  Under  him  the  Jews  enjoyed 
greater  prosperity,  and  were  raised  to  greater  heights  of  glory, 
than  they  had  ever  attained  to  since  the  Babylonish  captivity. 
By  him,  was  the  capital  of  the  Samaritans,  and  the  Temple 
which  was  erected  on  Mount  Gcrizim,  destroyed.  The  Sama- 
ritans, however,  continued  to  have  an  altar  on  that  mount,  and 
to  worslip  there. 

Under  his  reign,  the  Edomites  joined  themselves  to  the  Jew?, 
and  both  Jacob  and  Esau  became  consolidated  in  one  nation. 
The  Jews  recognised  two  kinds  of  proselytes — proselytes  of  the 
gate  and  of  justice.    The  former,  renounced  idolatry,  but  did 

9 


98  tNDER  HYRCANUS.  pERIOD  II. 

not  conform  strictly  to  the  law  of  Moses  ; — such  were  Naaman 
the  Syrian,  and  Cornelius  the  centurion.  They  were  admitted 
into  the  Temple  to  worship  God,  but  came  no  further  than  into 
the  outer  court,  which  was  hence  called  the  court  of  the  Gen- 
tiles. The  others  observed  the  whole  Jewish  law.  They  were 
initiated  by  baptism,  sacrifice  and  circumcision,  and  were  admit- 
ted to  all  the  privileges  of  the  Jews.  Such  did  the  Edomites  be- 
come. 

Hyrcanus,  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Aristobolus.  He  as^ 
sumed  the  title  of  king.  Pie  was  the  first  Jewish  ruler,  who,  af- 
ter the  Babylonian  captivity,  v  ore  a  crown.  He  was  a  prince 
and  High  priest  of  great  cruelty,  who  put  to  death  his  own  moth- 
er and  brother,  and  at  the  close  of  one  year,  died  in  great  hor- 
ror of  conscience,  for  his  crimes.  During  his  reign,  the  Iture- 
ans  were  vanquished,  and  compelled,  as  was  the  custom  towards 
all  captives,  to  receive  circumcision,  and  be  engrafted  into  the 
Jewish  state. 

Alexander  Jannoeus,  his  brother,  ascended  the  throne  upon 
the  death  of  Aristobolus.  He  was  a  martial  prince,  and  fought: 
many  successful  battles  with  the  surrounding  nations.  But  he 
had  a  more  terrible  enemy  at  home,  than  abroad.  This  was 
the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  which  had  occasioned  much  trouble 
to  John  Hyrcanus,  but  which  now  came  out  in  open  war  against 
this  sovereign,  and  endeavoured  to  drive  him  from  the  throne. 
They  hired  foreign  troops,  and  compelled  him  once  to  flee  to 
the  mountains  alone.  At  length,  however,  he  gained  a  decisive 
victory  over  them,  took  800  of  them  captive  and  caused  them 
all  to  be  crucified  in  one  day.  This  rebellion  lasted  six  years, 
and  cost  the  lives  of  above  50,000  of  the  faction.  He  reigned 
twenty-six  years,  and  left  the  throne  to  his  wife,  79  B.  C. 

This  woman  committed  the  government  entirely  to  the  Phar- 
isees, by  which  she  acquired  great  popularity.  But  having  the 
power  in  their  hands,  they  immediately  commenced  a  violent 
persecution  of  the  Sadducees,  a  rival  sect,  who  had  been  the 
supporters  of  Alexander.  This  was  followed  with  much  shed- 
ding of  blood,  until  they  v/ere  placed  for  security,  at  their  own 
request,  in  the  several  garrisons.  Alexandra  died  in  the  ninth 
year  of  her  reign. 

Her  son  Hyrcanus  had  been  made  High  priest,  and  immedi- 
ately ascended  the  throne  on  the  death  of  his  mother.  But  he 
was  driven  from  it  in  a  short  time,  by  Aristobolus,  a  younger 
brother.  Antipater,  governor  of  Idumea,  and  father  of  Herod, 
took  the  part  of  Hyrcanus.  The  two  contending  parties  appeal- 
ed to  Pompey,  the  Roman  general,  and  made  him  arbitrator  be- 


Chap.  9.         Jerusalem  taken  by  the  Romans,  99 

tween  them.  The  shrewd  Roman  heard  them  with  apparent 
impartiality,  but  deferred  a  decision  of  the  controversy.  Aris- 
tobulus,  jealous  of  his  rival,  prepared  for  war.  The  Roman 
general  immediately  caused  him  to  be  imprisoned,  and  marched 
his  army  against  Jerusalem.  The  party  of  Hyrcanus,  received 
him  with  open  arms,  and  the  faction  of  Aristobolus,  who  had 
thrown  themselves  into  the  Temple,  were  but  for  about  three 
months,  able  to  hold  out  against  so  powerful  an  enemy.  Twelve 
thousand  Jews  were  killed  by  the  Romans,  and  many  destroyed 
themselves.  When  the  Temple  was  finally  taken,  the  priests 
moved  not  from  the  altars,  but  suffered  themselves  to  be  butch- 
ered without  resistance,  by  the  soldiery,  to  the  astonishment  of 
Pompey. 

Thus  did  the  holy  city  and  Temple  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Romans,  63  B.  C.  and  on  the  very  day  which  the  Jews  kept  as 
a  solemn  fast,  for  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Temple,  by 
Ntbuchadnezzer,  king  of  Babylon.  Pompey  wished  to  see  the 
interior  of  the  Temple.  But  the  Jews  protested  against  it  as  an 
awful  profanation.  With  his  superior  officers,  however,  he 
pressed  in,  lifted  the  veil,  and  looked  within  the  Holy  of  holies. 
The  whole,  he  treated  with  great  respect.  All  the  treasures 
he  leit  untouched  ;  and  he  ordered  the  priests  to  offer  sacrifice 
according  to  the  law  of  Moses. 

But,  according  to  the  prediction  of  Jacob,  the  sceptre  was 
not  to  depart  from  Judah  nor  a  law-giver  from  between  his 
feet,  until  Shiloh  should  come.  We  therefore  find  the  Romans 
leaving  the  Jews  still  to  govern  themselves.  Hyrcanus  was 
continued  in  the  High-priesthood  with  the  appellation  of  prince, 
but  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  demolished,  the  Jewish  territo- 
ry was  reduced,  and  the  nation  was  compelled  to  pay  a  dis- 
graceful tribute.  Aristobulus  and  his  sons  were  carried  to 
Rome,  to  adorn  Pompey's  triumph.  It  was  however,  but  a  short 
period,  before  this  disturber  of  the  public  peace,  obtained  his 
liberty,  and  Judea  was  again  thrown  into  desolating  dissensions. 

Pompey  was  overpowered  by  the  partisans  of  Julius  Caesar  ; 
who,  at  the  death  of  that  renowned  warrior,  usurped  the  su- 
preme authority  at  Rome.  Antipater  had  assisted  him  in  his 
wars  in  Egypt,  and  was  rewarded  by  the  office  of  lieutenant  of 
Judea,  48  B.  C.  He  soon  obtained  important  posts  for  his  two 
sons, — the  government  of  Jerusalem  for  Phasael,  and  of  Galilee 
for  Herod.  Caesar  confirmed  Hyrcanus  in  the  priesthood,  and 
conferred  such  favours  upon  the  Jewish  nation,  that  it  could 
hardly  be  perceived  that  they  were  in  bondage  to  any  people. 

There  was  nothing  stable,  however,  among  this  people,  nor 


100  REIGN  OF  HEROD  THE  GREAT.      PERIOD  II 

even  in  the  thrones  of  the  mighty.  Julius  Caesar,  one  of  the 
most  splendid  men  that  adorns  the  page  of  civil  history,  was  as- 
sassinated in  the  senate  house  ;  and  Hyrcanus  was  ejected  from 
liis  rank  and  station,  by  Antigonus,  the  son  of  his  great  rival. 
His  vengeance  fell  also,  upon  the  governors  of  Jerusalem  and 
Galilee.  But  Herod  fled  into  Egypt,  and  from  thence  to  Rome  : 
where  he  put  himself  under  the  protection  of  Mark  Antony,  who 
was  then  i^  power.  Antony  gave  him  the  kingdom  ofJudea. 
He  collected  an  army  ;  and  after  a  long  and  distressing  war, 
took  the  holy  city,  37  B.  C.  Antigonus,  the  son  of  Aristobolus, 
was  put  to  death.  He  was  the  last  of  the  Asmonean  family. 
They  had  reigned  in  Judea  for  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
years. 

The  sceptre  now  passed,  for  the  first  time,  into  the  hands  of 
a  foreign  prince,  but  still  the  Jews  continued  to  be  governed  by 
their  own  laws,  and  their  Sanhedrim  was  the  general  court  of 
judicature.  We  feel,  however,  when  we  behold  so  great  an 
event  as  this,  that  the  coming  of  Shiloh  is  near. 

Herod  was  a  -monster  of  cruelty.  He  was  ever  filled  with 
jealousy,  and  all  his  real  and  supposed  enemies,  he  put,  as  far  as 
lay  in  his  power,  to  most  cruel  deaths.  The  adherents  of  Anti- 
gonus first  felt  his  rage.  Their  blood  flowed  freely,  and  their 
estates  filled  his  empty  coffers.  Only  two  were  spared  from 
the  Sanhedrim.  Disqualified,  himself,  for  the  priesthood,  he 
made  Ananel,  an  inferior  and  obscure  priest.  High  priest ;  but 
he  soon  displaced  him,  and  gave  the  office  to  Aristobulus,  the 
brother  of  his  wife  Mariamne  ;  but  him,  however,  he  in  a  short 
period,  caused  to  be  drowned  in  a  t  ath.  To  give  himself  au- 
thority and  power  with  the  Jewish  nation,  he  married  Mariam- 
ne, a  beautiful  and  accomplished  woman  of  the  Asmonean  fami- 
ly, the  grand-daughter  of  Hyrcanus  ;  but,  though  he  loved  her 
passionately,  she,  for  his  murder  of  her  brother,  as  bitterly  ha- 
ted him  ;  and,  in  his  fury  for  it,  he  put  her  to  death.  He  con- 
demned also  her  mother,  and  three  of  his  own  sons  to  the  loss 
of  life,  and  exhausted  the  treasure  and  spirit  of  the  nation,  by 
his  cruel  oppressions. 

As  might  naturally  be  expected,  this  monster  in  wickedness 
despised  the  Jewish  religion  and  laws.  The  High  priest  he  set 
up  and  removed,  without  any  regard  to  hereditary  right.  He 
made  it  continually  the  great  object  of  his  reign,  to  introduce 
Roman  luxury,  and  the  worship  of  heathen  gods.  He  built 
Grecian  Temples  and  set  up  idols  for  worship,  and  established 
theatres  and  games  in  honor  of  Augustus  the  Roman  Emperor 

Having  reigned  in  this  manner  fourteen  years,  and  amassed 


Chap,  9.  herod  repairs  the  temple.  101 

great  treasures,  the  people  became  exceedingly  disgusted  with 
him  ;  wherefore,  to  gain  their  favour,  he  resolved,  17  B.  C.  to 
rebuild  the  Temple.  For  about  nine  years,  he  employed  upon 
it  18,000  men.  He  made  it  considerably  larger  than  the  Tem- 
ple which  was  built  by  Solomon.  Its  length  and  breadth  were 
now  one  hundred  cubits.  It  was  built  of  immense  stones  of 
white  marble,  which  were  covered  with  large  plates  of  pure  gold. 

Its  enclosure  was  about  a  furlong  square.  This  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  wall,  on  the  inside  of  which  were  erected 
three  galleries,  the  narrowest  about  thirty  feet  wide,  and  fifty 
high,  but  the  largest  was  f  )rty-five  feet  wide,  one  hundred  high. 
These  galleries  were  supported  by  162  pillars  of  marble,  each 
about  twenty-seven  feet  in  circumference.  The  wall  of  this  en- 
closure, had  four  gates  towards  the  west,  and  one  on  each  of  the 
other  sides.  Tiie  Temple  was  encompassed  with  beautiful 
porches,  which  were  paved  with  marble.  Solomon's  porch  was 
at  the  east  gate  of  the  Temple,  called  beautiful.  The  women 
had  their  separate  court,  and  entered  by  the  east  gate,  v/hich 
was  overlaid  with  Corinthian  brass.  A  golden  eagle,  the  arms; 
of  the  Roman  empire,  was  placed  over  each  gate.  And  when- 
the  Temple  was  finished,  it  was,  with  great  solemnity,  dedicated 
to  God.  As  the  whole  was  executed  as  a  repair  of  the  Temple 
built  by  Zerubbabel,  it  was  called  the  second  Temple,  into 
which  "  the  Desire  of  all  nations  should  come."  And  as  it  was 
continually  receiving  additions  for  many  years  after,  the  Jews 
might  say  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour  with  propriety,  "Forty  and 
six  years  was  the  Temple  in  building." 

Finding  that  the  sceptre  had  now  about  departed  from  Ju- 
dah,  the  pious  in  Jerusalem  were  earnestly  looking  for  the  com- 
ing of  Shiloh.  They  accurately  computed  also  the  70  weeks  in 
Daniel's  prophecy,  of  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  found  that  they 
were  about  completed.  Devout  people  waited  day  and 
night  in  the  Temple  for  the  consolation  of  Israel  ;  and  they, 
who  had  no  special  wish  for  the  Messiah  in  his  true  character, 
were  looking  forward  to  him  as  a  deliverer  from  the  Roman 
yoke ;  So-  much  expectation  of  the  promised  king,  could 
not  but  be  viev/ed  by  such  a  man  as  Herod  with  the  deepest 
jealousy.  And  when  the  long  looked  for  moment  arrived,  when 
the  promised  seed  was  born,  when  the  glorious  Saviour  of  men 
entered  our  world,  to  set  up  that  kingdom  which  should  break 
and  destroy  all  kingdoms,  immediately  this  worst  of  tyrants  re- 
solved to  destroy  him.  But  by  the  overruling  providence  of  God, 
he  was  delivered  out  of  his  hands,  and  in  the  following  year  tflis 

9* 


102  herod's  Fx\mily.  Period  II 

inhuman  tyrant  died  of  a  most  loathsome  disease  and  in  great 
tortures,  having  reigned  thirty-seven  years. 

He  carried  his  brutality  to  the  last.  For  to  prevent  the  nation 
from  rejoicing  at  his  death,  he  convened  all  the  distinguished 
men,  shut  them  up  in  a  castle,  and  ordered  their  instant  death 
the  moment  he  should  expire.  But  the  order  was  not  executed. 
Such  was  the  man  into  whose  hands  the  Church  had  fallen, 
when  her  promised  deliverer  arose.  He  was  called  Great,  but 
he  was  chiefly  great  in  crime,  and  was  detestable  as  he  was 
wicked  and  base.  He  left  his  dominion  to  three  sons  ; — his 
kingdom  to  Archelaus  ;  Gaulonites,  Trachonites  and  Batanea, 
to  Philip  ;  Galilee  and  Parea,  to  Herod  Antipas. 

As  this  family  were  intimately  connected  with  the  infant 
Christian  Church,  some  account  of  them  will  be  both  interest- 
ing and  instructive. 

Archelaus  interred  his  father  with  great  pomp.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  his  reign,  the  Jews,  indignant  at  the  profanation 
of  the  Temple,  pulled  down  the  Roman  eagle,  which  Herod  had 
placed  over  each  of  the  gates.  This  occasioned  great  c  mten- 
tions,  and  much  shedding  of  blood.  His  brother  Herod  con- 
tended with  him  at  the  Roman  court  for  the  crown,  but  he 
held  it  about  seven  years.  His  reign  was  one  of  such  violence 
and  tyranny,  that  the  people  brought  against  him  accusations 
to  the  emperor  ;  and  he  was  banished  to  Vienna  in  France, 
where  he  died.  Such  was  the  cruelty  of  his  temper,  that  when 
Joseph  and  Mary  heard  that  he  reigned,  in  the  room  of  his  fa- 
ther Herod,  they  were  afraid  to  return  into  Judea  with  the  holy 
child  Jesus.  He  was  succeeded  by  Roman  governors,  one  of 
whom  was  Pontius  Pilate.  Of  Philip,  tetrarch  of  Iturea  and 
Trachonites,  little  mention*is  made  in  thejhistory  of  the  Church, 

Herod  Antipater,  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  was  early  engaged  in 
war  with  the  Arabs,  because  he  divorced  his  wife,  the  daughter 
of  Aretas,  their  king,  that  he  might  marry  Herodias  the  wife  of 
his  brother  Philip,  who  was  still  living.  For  this  connexion. 
John  Baptist  reproved  him,  and  for  his  boldness  lost  his  life. 
Soon  after  John's  death,  Herod  was  sent  into  exile,  and  he  and 
his  wife  and  Salama  all  came  to  a  miserable  end. 

There  was  another  Herod,  called  Herod  Agrippa,  who  reign- 
ed in  Judea  during  the  life  of  the  Apostles.  He  was  grandson 
of  Herod  the  great.  He  murdered  James  and  apprehended 
f  eter.  While  at  Cesarea,  celebrating  some  games  in  honour 
of  Claudius,  the  inhabitants  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  sent  deputies  to 
him  to  solicit  his  favor.  Splendidly  dressed,  he  made  an  oration, 
aistJ  the  people  shouted,  'It  i?  the  voice  of  a  god/     He  wa? 


Chap.  9.         sceptre  departed  from  judah,  103 

gratified  by  the  impious  flattery,  and  was  smitten  of  heaven 
with  a  most  tormenting  disease,  and  eaten  up  of  worms,  hav- 
ing reigned  about  ten  years.  He  was  the  father  of  Agrippa, 
Berenice,  Drusilla  and  Mariamne. 

The  sceptre  was  now  wholly  departed  from  Judah,  and  the 
lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  for  Shiloh  had  come.  The 
Jews  were  no  longer  governed  by  their  own  rulers  and  laws, 
but  by  the  Roman  power.  Herod  the  great  had  broken  down 
the  power  of  the  Sanhedrim  ;  though  it  still  existed  in  form,  so 
that  Christ  and  his  Apostles,  and  Stephen  the  deacon,  vere 
brought  before  it.  But  it  possessed  not  the  power  over  life  and 
death.  "  It  is  not  lawful,"  said  the  Jews  to  Pilate,  "  for  us  to 
put  any  man  to  death."  Such  was  the  wonderful  fulfilment  of 
the  ancient  prophecy  of  Jacob.  Other  vast  nations  had  long 
since  lost  their  power,  and  been  buried  in  oblivion,  but  Judah 
had  retained  her  sceptre  because  she  was  protected  of  heaven. 

In  the  later  ages  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  at  the  time  of  our 
Saviour's  appearance,  the  Jews  were  divided  into  a  ^reat  varie- 
ty of  religious  sects.  All  these  acknowledged  the  authority  of 
the  law  of  Moses,  and  united  in  their  forms  of  worship  ;  but 
they  were  so  fur  separated  by  their  peculiarities,  as  to  be 
contmually  involved  in  the  most  bitter  hostilities. 

The  largest  and  most  popular  was  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees. 
Their  rise  is  uncertain.  They  probably  rose  from  some  small 
beginning  to  great  power  and  consequence.  As  early  as  the 
days  of  Hyrcanus  and  Janneus,  they  threw  the  nation  into 
great  commotion.  They  believed  in  the  existence  of  angels 
both  good  and  bad,  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  body,  and  future  rewards  and  punishments ;  but 
they  considered  the  tradition  of  the  elders  as  of  equal  authori- 
ty with  the  written  law,  and,  in  many  cases  they  explained  the 
latter  by  the  former,  and  explained  it  in  a  way  directly  contrary 
to  its  true  meaning.  Thus  they  made  the  commandment 
of  God  of  none  effect  by  their  traditions.  These  traditions, 
they  contended,  were  delivered  by  God  to  Moses  on  Mount 
Sinai,  and  preserved  through  succeeding  generations.  By 
these  they  were  instructed  that  thoughts  and  desires  were  not 
sinful  unless  they  resulted  in  evil  actions  ;  that  fasting,  ablution 
and  almsgiving,  made  atonement  for  sin,  and  that  men  could 
even  perform  works  of  supeierogation.  They  expected  justi- 
fication through  the  merits  of  Abraham. 

They  derived  their  name  from  a  Hebrew  word  vihich  signi- 
fies to  separate,  because  they  pretended  to  an  uncommon  sepa- 
tion  from  the  world,  and  devotednes^   to  God.     They  valued 


104.  niARISEES.     SADDUCEES.  PeRIOD   II 

themselves  upon  their  frequent  washings,  fastings  and  long 
prayers ;  their  gravity  of  dress  and  gesture ;  their  mortified 
looks  ;  their  scrupulous  tithings ;  their  building  tombs  for  the 
prophets,  that  they  might  appear  more  righteous  than  their  fa- 
thers who  slew  them  ;  their  care  to  avoid  every  kind  of  ritual 
impurity  ;  enlarging  their  phylacteries,  (pieces  of  parchment, 
on  which  were  written  four  passages,  to  wit,  Exodus  13  ;  1 — 
10,  11 — 16,  and  Deut.  5 :  4 — 9:  13—21,  and  which  were 
rolled  up  and  confined  upon  the  back  part  of  the  left  hand 
and  upon  the  forehead  between  the  eyes,)  and  the  borders  of 
their  garments ;  and  on  their  diligence  and  zeal  in  making 
proselytes.  But  under  this  specious  exterior,  they  neglected 
justice,  mercy  and  truth,  and  practised  the  most  abominable 
vices.  They  were  a  race  of  most  demure  hypocrites,  properly 
compared  by  our  Saviour  to  whited  sepulchres.  They  hated  the 
Lord  of  life  and  glory,  and  persecuted  him  to  death. 

Of  the  Pharisees  there  were  several  distinct  classes— as  the 
truncated  Pharisees,  who  scarcely  lifted  their  feet  from  the 
ground,  that  they  might  appear  in  deep  meditation  ; — the  stri- 
king Pharisees,  who  walked  with  their  eyes  shut  that  they 
might  avoid  the  sight  of  women,  and  therefore  struck  continual- 
ly against  the  wall  as  they  walked  ;  and  the  mortar  Pharisees, 
who  wore  a  cap  resembling  a  mortar,  which  would  only  permit 
them  to  look  upon  the  ground.  They  ruled  entirely  the  com- 
mon people  and  had  all  their  votes  for  every  civil  and  religious 
office. 
The  next  most  powerful  sect  was  that  of  the  Sadducees.  They 
were  the  infidels  of  the  nation.  They  derived  their  name 
from  Sadoc,  a  disciple  of  Antigonus,  who  was  president  of  the 
Sanhedrim  260  B.  C.  His  master  had  taught  that  our  service 
of  God  should  be  wholly  disinterested,  without  any  regard  to 
a  future  state.  Sadoc  from  hence  reasoned  that  there  was  no 
future  state,  no  heaven  nor  hell,  no  resurrection,  angel  or  spir- 
it. His  followers  looked  upon  death,  therefore,  as  the  final  ex- 
tinction of  soul  and  body,  and  maintained  that  the  providence 
and  retributions  of  God  were  limited  to  this  world.  On  this 
ground  only,  they  pretended  to  worship  and  serve  God.  They 
rejected  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees. 

This  sect  was  comparatively  small  and  was  composed  chiefly 
of  men  of  high  rank  and  affluence.  Such  men  gladly  embra- 
ced this  system,  because  it  permitted  them  to  live  in  sinful  in- 
dulgence, without  any  fear  of  future  punishment.  Their  sys- 
tem was  the  child  of  depravity,  and  it  was  awfully  hardening. 
We  never  hear  of  a  Sadducee  converted  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 


ClIAP.    0.  ESSENES.     HERODIANS,  IOd 

The  whole  sect  ever  remained  bitter  opposers  of  the  humble, 
self  denying  doctrines  of  the  Cross.  '  Caiphas  and  Ananias,' 
the  murderer  of  James  the  less,  were  Sadducces. 

A  third  sect  were  the  Essenes.  They  took  their  rise  about  200 
years  B.  C.  and  were  really  an  order  of  monks.  They  lived  in  sol- 
itary places,  and  objecting  to  sacrifices,  came  seldom  to  the  Tem- 
ple. They  are  not  therefore  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament, 
They  were  perfect  fatalists.  They  agreed  with  the  Pharisees,  ex- 
cept in  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  which  they  denied.  They 
considered  the  laws  of  Moses  as  an  allegorical  system  of  spiritu- 
al and  mysterious  truth  ;  and  while  they  pretended  respect  to 
the  moral,  totally  neglected  the  ceremonial  law.  They  lived  in 
great  abstemiousness  renounced  marriage  :  adopted  proselytes 
and  children;  held  riches  in  contempt ;  maintained  aperfect  com- 
munity of  goods ;  never  bought  or  sold  any  thing  among  them- 
selves; wore  white  garments;  rejected  every  bodily  ornament,  and 
triumphed  over  pain  and  suffering.  They  exceeded  all  other  Jews 
in  the  strict  observance  of  the  sabbath,  and  lived  quietly  and  with- 
out noise  ;  engaged  much,  as  they  pretended,  in  heavenly  con- 
templation. They  took  their  name  from  the  Syriac  verb  Asa, 
to  heal,  because  they  enquired  much  into  the  cures  of  diseases, 
especially  the  moral  diseases  of  the  mind.  They  had  their  ori- 
gin in  Egypt,  4000  of  them  resided  on  the  western  shore  of  the 
Dead  Sea.  The  Therapeute  were  a  rigid  sect  of  them,  and  re^' 
sided  chiefly  in  Egypt. 

The  Herodians,  a  fourth  sect,  derived  their  name  from  Her- 
od the  great.  They  coincided  with  that  monarch  in  his  views 
of  subjecting  the  Jevv^s  to  the  Romans.  It  v/as  therefore  a  fun- 
damental principle  with  them  that  it  was  right  for  the  Jews  to 
comply  with  idolatry  and  heathen  customs,  if  required  by  their 
superiors  ;  and,  also,  that  it  was  a  duty  to  submit  and  pay  taxes 
to  him  whom  conquest  had  made  their  master.  They  were 
therefore  opposed  to  the  Pharisees  and  being  also  opposed  to 
Christ,  they  unitedly  engaged  to  catch  him  in  his  speech. 
Had  he  replied  to  the  question,  "  Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute 
to  Caesar?"  in  the  negative,  the  Plerodians  would  have  accused 
him  to  the  Emperor  ;  or  in  the  affirmative,  the  Pharisees,  who 
would  acknowledge  no  foreign  prince,  would  have  accused  him 
to  the  people.  Christ,  by  his  wisdom,  avoided  the  snares  of 
both.  When  he  charged  his  disciples  to  beware  of  the  leaven 
of  Herod,  he,  no  doubt,  had  particular  reference  to  their  com- 
pliance with  the  idolatrous  rites  of  the  Heathen.  The  Saddu- 
cees  were  generally  Herodians. 

The  Galileans  were  a  few  mhabitants  of  Galilee,  who  were 
instigated  by  one  Judas^  to  resist  the  Roman  tax.      By  this  re- 


t06  SCRIBES.      RABBIES.      NAZARITES.  PeRIOD  U 

sistance  tlicy  began  the  war  with  the  Romans,  which  termina* 
ted  in  the  destruction  of  the  nation.  They  held  the  religious 
sentiments  of  the  Pharisees.  Some  of  them,  while  worship- 
ping at  Jerusalem,  were  barbarously  murdered  by  Pilate,  in  the 
court  of  the  Temple,  and  their  blood  was  mingled  with  their 
sacrifices.  Our  Saviour  was  accused  as  a  Galilean,  who  went 
about  stirring  up  the  nation  to  revolt,  and  refusing  to  give  trib« 
Ute  to  Coesar. 

The  Karaites  were  the  protestants  of  the  Jewish  nation. 
The  name  denotes  a  scripturist  and  was  given  them  about  twen- 
ty years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  They  boldly  protested 
against  all  the  traditions  of  the  elders  as  having  no  divine  au- 
thority, and  strictly  adhered  to  the  written  law.  They  have 
been  from  that  day  to  this,  the  most  pious  and  orthodox  of  all 
the  sects. 

Besides  these  religious  sects,  there  were  three  orders  of  men 
which  claim  particularnotice — the  Scribes,  Rabbis,  and  Naza- 
rites. 

The  Scribes  were  originally  men  who  registered  the  affairs 
of  the  king.  At  a  subsequent  period  they  transcribed  the 
books  of  scripture,  and  thus  became  more  conversant  with  it 
than  other  men.  In  our  Saviour's  time,  they  were  an  impor- 
tant order  of  men  who  expounded  the  law  and  tradition  of  the 
elders,  taught  them  in  the  schools  and  synagogues,  and  reason* 
ed  concerning  them  before  the  Sanhedrim.  They  are  various- 
ly called  scribes,  lawyers,  doctors  of  law,  elders,  counsellors 
and  rulers,  and  those  who  sat  in  Moses'  seat.  They  were  a 
most  wicked  class,  who  abominably  perverted  the  scriptures. 

The  title,  Rabbi,  was  given  to  men  of  rank  in  the  state,  but 
especially  to  Jewish  doctors,  who  were  eminent  for  learning. 
It  was  given  to  John  by  his  disciples  ;  to  Christ,  by  Nicodemus 
and  the  wondering  populace.  Those  who  received  it  among 
the  doctors,  claimed  an  absolute  dominion  over  the  faith  of  the 
people.  But  it  was  a  title  wholly  disapproved  of  by  our  Sav- 
iour. He  said  to  his  disciples,  "  Be  not  ye  called  Rabbi  ;" — 
i.  e.  covet  no  such  distinctions  in  the  Church  of  God  ;  aspire 
to  no  honor  but  that  of  faithfully  serving  your  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter. 

The  Nazarites  were  a  class  of  men  separated  from  the  world 
for  some  limited  period,  or  for  life  by  a  vow.  During  their  vow, 
they  were  never  to  cut  their  hair,  or  drink  any  wine  or  strong 
drink.  They  were  to  attend  no  funeral  nor  enter  a  house  defi- 
led by  the  dead.  When  the  days  of  their  offering  were  fulfil- 
led, all  their  hair  was  shaved  off  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle 


1 


ClUr.  D     GENERAL  CORRUPTION  OP  TUE  JEWS.        1Q7 

and  burnt  under  the  altar.  Every  seventh  day  they  were  cal- 
led to  offer  peculiar  offerings.  Those  who,  like  Sampson,  Sam- 
uel and  John  Baptist,  were  dedicated  for  life,  had  no  occasion 
for  these  offerings.  Such  as  lived  far  from  Jerusalem,  cut 
their  hair  in  the  places  where  their  vow  was  finished,  but  de 
ferred  their  offerings  until  they  oame  to  the  Temple.  PaiA 
ence,  on  some  special  occasion,  became  a  Nazarite  at  Corinth^ 
vShaved  his  head  at  Cenchrea  and  made  his  offering  at  Jerusa- 
lem. 

Christ  was  styled  a  Nazarite  or  Nazarene,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  his  spending  much  of  his  life  at  Nazareth.  No  par- 
ticular prophecy  which  is  preserved  to  us  was  thus  fulfilled,  but- 
the  general  spirit  of  the  prophetic  writings  respecting  him  clear- 
ly was,  for  these  indicated  that  he  should  be  a  true  Nazarite., 
a  person  uncommonly  separated  from  his  birth  to  the  service  oi" 
God.  Well  therefore  might  the  evangelist  say,  "  it  was  fulfill- 
ed which  was  spoken  by  the  prophets,  he  shall  be  called  a  Naz- 
arene." 

Amid  the  clashing  of  various  sects,  the  formality  and  hypoc- 
risy of  the  Pharisees,  the  monkish  austerity  of  the  Essenes,  and 
the  freethinking  of  the  Sadducees,  vital  piety  had  almost  ex- 
pired with  the  nation.  The  Jews  indeed  adhered  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  one  true  God,  and  venerated  the  mosaic  law,  buf 
they  fully  believed  that  they  could  atone  for  the  vilest  transgres- 
sions. 

They  looked  for  the  Messiah,  but  they  expected  him  only  as 
a  temporal  prince  who  would  deliver  them  from  Roman  bon- 
dage, by  a  zealous  performance  of  external  rites  ;  they  so  gave 
themselves  up  to  the  grossest  wickedness,  that  Joscphus,  their 
eminent  historian,  remarks,  "  Had  the  Romans  delayed  callincj 
these  abandoned  wretches  to  account,  their  city  would  either 
have  been  deluged  by  water,  or  swallowed  by  an  earthquake,  op 
destroyed  like  Sodom  by  thunder  and  lightning." 

As  was  remarked  in  the  history  of  idolatry,  the  rest  of  the 
world  was  now  sunk  in  the  most  deplorable  state  of  heathen  su- 
perstition. All  nations  imagined  the  upper  world  to  be  fdled 
with  superior  beings  whom  they  called  gods,  one  or  more  of 
which  they  supposed  to  preside  over  every  province,  people,  fa- 
mily, element,  production  and  passion.  These  deities  were  di- 
verse from  each  other  in  nature,  sex,  rank  and  power,  and  were 
all  appeased  and  honoured  by  peculiar  gifts,  rites  and  ceremo- 
nies. Over  all  a  supreme  divinity  was  generally  supposed  t9 
preside,  who,  though  more  excellent  than  the  rest,  was  «:ontroll' 
by  the  fates. 


108  STATE    OF   TIIE   PAGAN   WORLD.  PERIOD    II, 

Through  a  national  ambition,  the  Greeks  and  Romans  gave 
ihe  names  of  their  own  deities  to  those  of  other  nations  whom 
they  subdued  ;  but  religious  wars  were  unknown,  for  every  na- 
tion suffered  their  neighbours  to  enjoy  their  own  gods,  rites  and 
^ieremonies,  considering  them  as  their  peculiar  province.  Some 
of  these  gods  were  furnished  from  the  natural  world,  as  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars ;  but  the  most  of  them  were  deified  heroes. 
Statues  and  other  representations  of  them  were  placed  in  their 
temples.  These  temples  were  exceedingly  magnificent.  An 
amazing  priesthood  was  richly  supported  ;  but  their  prayers  and 
ceremonies  were  of  the  most  foolish  and  debasing  character. 
There  were  certain  institutions  called  mysteries,  to  which  only 
a  few  were  initiated,  and  which  were  very  imposing  upon  the 
Common  people. 

But  in  the  whole  system  of  Paganism  there  was  no  tendency 
to  virtue.  Indeed,  morality  seems  never  to  have  had  a  place  in 
the  religion  of  a  Pagan.  In  the  high  mysteries,  things  were 
transacted  which  outraged  common  decency.  Almost  every  god 
was  a  patron  of  some  vice.  The  gods  themselves  were  supposed  to 
be  guilty  often  of  the  basest  crimes.  The  Greeks  and  Romans, 
therefore,  the  most  refined  nations  of  antiquity,  were  sunk  in  the 
lowest  sensualities.  Their  own  best  writers,  such  as  Horace, 
Tacitus,  Juvenal,  confirm  the  account  given  of  the  low  moral 
character  of  the  people  in  the  second  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans.  Philosophy  had  done  all  that  it  ever  can  do,  un- 
assisted by  revelation,  in  the  discovery  of  truth  and  reformation 
of  mankind  ;  and  it  finally  debased  the  human  mind  by  the  most 
perplexing  subtelties,  and  spread  abroad  the  most  demoralizing 
sentiments.  The  most  popular  sect  was  that  of  Epicurus,  who 
maintained  that  pleasure  was  the  chief  end  of  man's  existence, 
and  that  it  was  no  matter  in  what  way  it  was  obtained,  though  it 
was  through  the  lowest  sensual  indulgence.  These  powerful 
nations  had  no  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  of  human  accounta- 
bleness  and  the  future  state  of  the  soul.  Satan  every  where 
leigned  triumphant,  and  no  ray  of  hope  appeared  to  the  eye  of 
reason,  of  any  release  from  his  iron  bondage. 

At  the  same  time,  tlie  state  of  the  world  was  admirably 
adapted  to  the  rapid  diffusion  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The 
Roman  empire  was  in  its  greatest  glory.  All  the  nations  of  the 
known  world  were  subjected  to  it ;  dominion  and  peace  was  ev- 
ery where  established.  Vast  nations  therefore  were  united  in 
friendly  intercourse,  many  and  barbarous  tribes  were  reduced 
to  civilized  life.  Literature  had  risen  to  a  height  never  before 
attained.    The  Grecian  tongue  was   almost  every  where  read 


i 


UHAP.  8.  REFLECTIONS.  109 

or  spoken.  Free  access  was  had  to  all  nations,  and  the  Gos- 
pel could  easily  be  preached  to  every  creature  under  the  whole 
heaven. 

In  concluding  the  second  great  period  of  the  history  of  the 
Church,  let  us  pause  and  reflect  on  the  wonderful  providence  of 
God.  He  had  now  protected  and  preserved  her  during  a  period 
of  4000  years,  while  nation  after  nation  had  risen  and  sunk 
like  the  waves  of  the  ocean.  All  the  prophecies  respecting  her 
and  the  nations  of  the  earth,  which  were  due,  had  hitherto  been 
strictly  fulfilled.  The  four  great  empires  had  risen  in  success- 
ion, and  had  been  the  rod  of  God's  anger,  or  instruments  to  her 
good.  All  the  sacrifices  and  offerings  of  the  law,  had  fully  sha- 
dowed forth  the  one  great  sacrifice,  which  was  now  to  make  re- 
conciliation for  iniquity,  and  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness. 
"  Her  walls  had  been  continually  before  him."  The  past,  was 
a  pledge  for  the  fulfilment  of  promises  of  future  good.  He  who 
raised  up  the  four  vast  monarchies  of  the  earth,  would  now  set 
up  a  kingdom  which  should  never  be  destroyed,  and  which 
should  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  kingdoms.  Well  may 
all  people  exclaim  with  an  heathen  prince,  "  How  great  are 
his  signs,  and  how  mighty  are  his  wonders  !  His  kingdom  i? 
an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  his  dominion  is  from  generation  to 
generation,'- 


10 


PERIOD  nz. 

FROM    THE    BIRTH    OF    CHRIST   TO    THE    PRESENT   TIMi^. 

CHAPTER  I 

Birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus  circumcised.  Welcomed  hy  saints 
and  angels.  Worshipped  hy  the  wise  men.  Sought  for  hy 
Herod.  Carried  into  Egypt.  Conversant  at  12  years  with 
the  Doctors,  Lives  in  retirement  until  30  years  of  age* 
Birth,  character,  and  work  of  John  the  Baptist,  Jesus  hap" 
tized  by  him,  and  consecrated  to  the  priesthood.  Christ's 
ministry.  Aholition  of  the  Jewish,  and  establishment  of  the 
Christian  Church.  Christ's  priesthood.  His  death,  resur- 
rection and  ascension.  Jesus y  King  in  Zion.  Evidences  of 
his  divine  mission. 

Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  men,  was  born  of  the  virgin  Ma^ 
ry,  at  Bethlehem  in  Judea,  in  the  year  of  the  world  four  thous- 
and ;  four  years  before  the  vulgar  era.  His  miraculous  birth 
was  foretold,  with  astonishing  precision,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah.* 
To  Mary,  it  was  revealed,  before  conception,  by  the  Angel 
Gabriel.  Like  other  wonderful  works  of  God,  it  has  been  the 
acoff  ofthe  wicked;  but  the  pure  in  heart,  behold  in  it  a  striking 
correspondence  with  the  purity  and  dignity  of  the  Redeemer's 
person  and  office. 

Mary  was  a  direct  descendant  from  David,  through  Nathan. 
Christ  was,  therefore,  of  the  seed  of  David,  according  with  the 
language  of  prophecy,  though  not  of  royal  line.  Her  genealogy 
is  given  by  Luke.  Before  his  birth  she  was  espoused  to  Joseph, 
a  direct  descendant  from  David  in  the  royal  line.  He  became 
his  reputed  father.  His  genealogy  is  given  by  Matthew.  Hence 
Jesus  might  be  called.  King  of  the  Jews. 

The  place  of  his  birth  was  predicted  by  Micah.  *'  But 
thou  Bethlehem  Ephrata,  though  thou  be  but  little  among  the 
thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee,  shall  he  some  forth  to  me, 
that  is  to  be  ruler  of  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from 


*  Isaiali,  7.  14.        f  Isaiah  5,  2, 


112  JESUS   CIRCUMCISED,  PERIODr   III 

of  old,  from  everlasting.''  Thither  his  parents,  who  were  in 
habitants  of  Galilee,  were  brought  in  the  fulness  of  time,  by 
an  imperial  edict,  to  be  enrolled  for  taxation.*  Obscurity  and 
lowliness  marked  his   birth.     He  was  laid  in  a  manger. 

On  the  eighth  day  from  his  birth,  the  holy  child  was  circum- 
cised from  a  sacred  regard  to  divine  institution,  and  called  Je- 
sus, because  he  should  save  his  people.  As  sent  and  anointed 
of  God,  to  perform  the  work  of  Mediator,  he  was  the  Christ  or 
Messiah  ;  and  hence,  he  has  sustained  the  double  appellation. 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  birth  of  the  Saviour  filled  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God, 
who  had  been  looking  for  his  advent,  with  exceeding  joy.  Sim- 
eon and  Anna,  aged  saints,  paid  him,  as  he  was  presented  in 
the  Temple,  their  joyful  gratulations.  An  innumerable  compa- 
ny of  angels  were  heard,  by  shepherds  in  the  field,  praising  God 
and  saying  **  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace, 
good  will  toward  men."  An  extraordinary  star  or  meteor,  ap- 
peared in  the  heavens,  and  conducted  certain  wise  men  to  wor- 
ship him  ; — going  before  them,  as  did  the  pillar  of  fire  before  the 
Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  until  they  came  to  Jerusalem.  No 
earthly  prince  ever  entered  the  world  in  such  majesty  and  glo- 
ry. The  question  of  the  wise  men,  "Where  is  he  that  is  born 
King  of  the  Jews  1  troubled  Herod  and  all  Jerusalem.  The  bloody 
monarch,  without  delay,  sought  his  death.  And  v/hen  baffled 
in  his  scheme  by  an  overruling  providence,  he  made  havoc  of  all 
the  children  of  Bethlehem,  under  two  years ;  bringing  on  a  scene 
of  woe,  like  that  on  which  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  ages  before,  had 
iiiied  his  eye.  "  Rachel  weeping  for  her  children  and  would 
not  T^e  comforted."  The  holy  child  was  carried  into  Egypt, 
where  he  remained,  until,  directed  by  heaven,  his  parents  re- 
turned and  dwelt  in  Nazareth. 

Such  a  concurrence  of  circumstances,  must  have  made  the 
infant  Messiah  the  object  of  general  attention,  to  an  extent  of 
which,  we,  at  this  distance  of  time,  can  have  but  faint  concep- 
tions. 


*  An  objection  has  been  raised  against  this  part  of  inspired  history 
from  a  well  authenticated  fact,  tliat  Cyrenius,  in  whose  days  this  tax- 
jng-is  said  to  have  been,  was  not  g-overnor  of  Syria  until  ten  or  tweho 
years  after  the  birth  of  Jesus.     But  the  difficulty  is  solved,  by  distin 
guisbing  between  the  enrolment  of  the  citizens,  and  the  actual  collec 
tion  of  taxes,  which  was  not  until  the  time  of  Cyrenius.     The  aviditv 
with  which  Infidels  seize  such  apparent  contradictions,  shews  the  ^eak 
Tiess  of  their  cause. 


Chap.  1.     converses  with  the  jewish  doctors.  113 

At  twelve  years  of  age,  his  parents  took  him  with  them  on 
their  annual  visit  to  Jerusalem,  at  the  feast  of  the  passover. 
There  he  conversed  with  the  Jewish  Doctors,  and  the  divinity 
shone  forth  in  him.  ''  All  were  astonished  at  his  understanding 
and  answers."  When  sought  by  his  parents,  from  whom  he 
had  wandered,  he  said,  Wist.ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Fa- 
ther's business  ?  a  proof  that  he  did  not  remain  till  manhood 
ignorant  of  the  great  purpose  for  which  he  came  into  the  world. 
He  submissively  returned  with  them  to  Nazareth,  where  he  re* 
mained  untij  he  was  about  thirty  years  of  age,  probably  in  the 
employment  of  his  Father,  who  was  a  carpenter. 

*'  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness,  God  manifest  in  the  flesh.'" 
Not  only  the  person  of  the  Redeemer,  but  the  lateness  of  his  ap- 
pearance, and  his  obscurity  after  the  great  excitement  at  his 
birth,  and  conversation  with  the  Doctors  in  the  Temple,  are  un- 
accountable to  many. 

The  occurrence  of  events,  is  resolvable  only  into  the  divine 
sovereignty.  God  brings  every  thing  to  pass  according  to  his 
own  pleasure.  Yet  to  the  enquiry,  why  did  not  the  Saviour  ap- 
pear hundreds  and  thousands  of  years  before  1  it  may  be  re- 
plied, that,  by  delay,  time  was  given  for  a  full  exhibition  of  the 
evil  nature  and  power  of  sin,  and  of  the  utter  insufficiency  of  all 
ordinary  means  to  reform  the  world  ; — while  his  character  and 
offices,  life  and  death,  were  marked  out  by  a  great  variety  of  typ- 
ical and  verbal  predictions,  by  which  the  world  were  at  once  qual- 
ified to  judge  of  his  character  and  work,  whenever  he  should  ap- 
pear. On  the  subject  of  his  retirement,  it  may  be  remarked, 
that  he  came  to  be  an  High  Priest  in  the  Church  of  God,  and 
that  he  refrained  from  becoming  a  preacher  of  righteousness 
until  he  had  attained  to  his  thirtieth  year,  and  might  strictly 
conform  to  the  Jewish  law.  It  is  manifest,  from  the  astonish- 
ment produced  by  his  conversation  with  the  Doctors,  that  he 
might,  at  any  period,  have  called  to  himself  the  attention  of  the 
world.  The  rulers  were  alarmed  at  his  birth,  but  they  soon 
died,  and  the  power  passed  into  the  hands  of  others,  who  knew 
him  not.  The  mass  of  the  people  were  ignorant  and  vicious. 
They  looked  only  for  some  great  temporal  prince,  who  should 
deliver  them  from  Roman  bondage.  If  their  attention  had 
once  been  excited  by  a  wonderful  child,  who  appeared  amid  ma- 
ny signs,  it  would  soon  subside,  as  he  passed  from  their  notice. 
Especially,  as  it  was  an  age  of  general  expectation,  when  others 
were  probably  held  up  to  view  as  the  long  expected  deliverer. 
But  he  was  not  unknown  and  forgotten  by  the  pious.  His 
mother  treasured  up  every  thing  in  her  heart,  which  developed 

10* 


il4  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST-  PeRIOD    III 

his  greatness.  And  had  we  a  more  minute  history  of  his  course, 
we  should  doubtless  find  many  of  the  people  of  God  looking  anx- 
iously toward  him  as  a  wonderful  messenger  from  heaven.  "  He 
increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  was  in  favor  with  God  and 
man," 

Malachi,  the  last  of  the  ancient  prophets,  closed  his  writings 
and  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament,  with  a  prediction,  under 
the  character  of  Elijah  the  prophet,  of  John  the  Baptist. 

That  holy  man  was  born  six  months  before  the  Saviour,  of 
Zecharias,  an  aged  priest,  and  Elizabeth.  He  was  to  be  the 
forerunner  of  Christ.  In  apparel,  temper,  austerity,  boldness  in 
reproving  vice,  and  zeal  for  God,  he  strongly  resembled  that 
eminent  prophet  whose  name  he  bore.  In  about  the  twenty- 
eighth  year  of  Christ,  he  began  to  proclaim  to  men  the  approach 
of  the  gospel  kingdom  ;  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,  and  to 
baptise  such  as  confessed  their  sins  and  turned  to  God. 

His  baptism  was  not  Christian  baptism.  It  was  not  administer- 
v€id  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
ft  was  not  an  initiation  into  the  Christian  Church  ;  for  the 
gospel  dispensation  was  yet  to  come.  It  was  one  of  those  di- 
vers washings,  which  belonged  to  the  Jewish  economy.  He 
disclaimed  a  baptism  like  to  that  of  Christ.  Some,  therefore, 
who  had  been  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  John,  afterwards  re- 
ceived Christian  baptism  from  the  hands  of  Paul.  They  had 
not  so  much  as  heard  of  the  Holy  Ghost.* 

While  John  was  baptising  at  the  river  Jordan,  Jesus  came  to 
be  baptized  of  him.  He  came,  not  as  a  sinner  confessing  his 
siris  to  be  baptized  unto  repentance,  for  he  was  perfectly  holy  ; 
not  to  receive  any  emblem  of  regeneration,  for  he  needed  no 
change  of  heart ; — not  to  be  admitted  into  the  Christian  Church, 
for  of  this  he  was  the  head  ; — but  to  be  legally  and  solemnly 
consecrated  as  High  Priest  to  his  people.  Under  the  law,  the 
priests  were  consecrated  to  their  office  by  baptism  and  anointing 
with  oil.t  John,  evidently  not  fully  understanding  the  purpose 
of  Jesus,  hesitated  at  a  compliance  with  the  request,  thinking 
chat  he,  as  a  sinner,  had  need  to  be  baptized  of  him  ;  but  Christ 
told  him  to  suffer  it,  for  he  must  fulfil  all  righteousness.  He 
•lad  been  circumcised  in  infancy,  and  had  shewn  respect,  in  all 
his  conduct,  to  those  divine  institutions  which  were  still  bind- 
ing uppu  the  people,  and  he  would  not  force  himself  into  the 
priesthood  in  a  way  which  would  be  illegal.     He  was  therefore 

"  Acts  six.    t  Exodus  xxix. 


J 


Chap.  1.    jesus  coNSECRAXEii  to  the  priesthood.         115 

baptized  by  John  and  anointed,  not  with  oil,  but  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  For  "  lo  !  the  heavens  were  opened,  and  the  spirit  ot' 
God  descended  like  a  dove  and  lighted  upon  him."  Immedi- 
ately he  retired  into  the  wilderness,  where  he  spent  forty  days 
in  fasting  and  prayer,  and  was  tempted  by  Satan.  With  detes- 
tation and  abhorrence,  he  baffled,  by  scripture,  all  the  entice- 
ments of  this  arch  seducer,  who,  in  his  malignancy,  had  destroy- 
ed the  first  Adam,  but  who  was  now  to  be  bruised  in  the  head  by 
the  seed  of  the  woman,  the  second  Adam,  the  Saviour  of  the 
world. 

Fully  qualified  for  his  arduous  work,  Jesus  went  forth  in  th(> 
power  of  the  Spirit,  to  set  up  the  Gospel  kingdom,  and  to  unfold 
that  salvation  to  a  dying  world  which  he  would  soon  effect 
through  his  own  death. 

For  three  years  and  an  half  he  went  about  through  all  the  ci- 
ties and  villages  of  Palestine,  preaching  doctrines  which  the 
world  had  never  before  heard,  and  giving  in  works  of  benevo- 
lence, the  most  amazing  manifestations  of  Almighty  power.  As 
no  nation  had  ever  been  visited  by  such  an  exalted  personage, 
so  none  was  ever  thus  engrossed,  astonished  and  gratified.  Vast 
crowds  thronged  him,  so  that  they  trod  one  upon  another  ;  and, 
had  the  common  people  been  heard  and  gratified,  he  would  have 
received  the  adoration  of  the  nation.  But  the  rulers  and  heads 
of  contending  sects,  jealous  of  their  rights  and  envious,  perpet- 
ually persecuted  him,  and  ultimately,  though  according  to  the 
determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God,*  put  him  to  the 
excruciating  death  of  the  cross. 

Jesus  Christ  was,  in  all  respects  a  common  man.  He  had 
an  human  body  and  a  reasonable  and  immortal  soul.  He  had 
all  the  human  appetites  and  affections;  all  our  emotions  of  joy 
and  sorrow.  He  hungered  and  thirsted.  He  slept.  He  suf- 
fered, bled  and  died.  At  the  same  time,  he  knew  all  things  ; 
could  do  all  things  ;  had  all  power  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  and 
was  Immanuei.,  God  w  ith  us.  Sometimes  the  actings  only  of 
the  human  nature  were  seen  in  him ;  he  was  found  eating, 
drinking,  sleeping,  praying,  dying.  Again,  he  was  seen  put- 
ting forth  the  powers  of  the  divine  ;  raising  the  dead  ;  casting 
out  devils  ;  forgiving  sin  ;  rising  from  the  grave  ;  ascending  to 
heaven,  and  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high — 
langels,    principalities  and  powers  being  made  subject  to  him. 

As    he  great  Prophet  predicted  by  Moses,  he  improved  every 


^  JTcts  ii.  23- 


116  CHRIST'S   MINISTRY.  PERIOD    III 

opportunity  to  instruct  men  in  divine  truth.  Sometimes  on  ac- 
count of  the  peculiar  prejudices  of  the  Jewish  nation,  he  spake 
in  parables ;  but  these  he  explainecf  to  his  disciples,  so  that  his 
instructions  are  all  plain  and  intelligible  to  the  unlearned.  On 
the  great  truths  of  natural  religion,  the  being  and  perfections  of 
God,  with  which  the  Jews,  who  had  the  law  and  the  prophets, 
were  well  acquainted,  he  said  but  little.  He  came  chiefly  to 
shew  the  ruined  state  of  man  as  a  sinner  and  the  way  of  salva- 
tion. He  fully  and  clearly  taught  the  total  depravity  of  the  hu- 
man heart  (a) ;  the  moral  blindness  (b)  and  inability  (c)  or 
disinclination  of  men  to  submit  to  God  ;  the  absolute  necessity 
of  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit  (d) ;  divine  sovereignty  in 
the  dispensations  of  grace  (e)  ;  his  own  divinity  (f)  and  atone- 
ment by  his  blood  (g) ;  justification  by  faith  (h) ;  the  great 
duties  of  repentance  (i),  faith  (j),  self  denial  (k)^  "disinterested 
love  (I),  universal  and  perfect  obedience  (m) ;  the  certain  per- 
severance of  all  saints  in  faith  and  holiness  to  eternal  life  (n) ; 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead  (o) ;  general  judgment  (p),  the 
eternal  happiness  of  the  righteous,  and  eternal  misery  of  the 
wicked  (q). 

"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man."  Never  man  spake  such 
truths ; — spake  with  such  plainness,  simplicity,  authority  and 
power.  Astonishment  seized  all  who  heard  him.  The  com- 
mon people  gave  him  the  most  profound  attention,  and  many 
were  his  friends  and  followers.  But  the  great,  the  Sadducees 
and  the  Pharisees,  finding  their  hollow  heartedness  and  abomi- 
nations exposed,  said,  he  was  mad,  a  disturber  of  the  peace,  and 
a  blasphemer. 

In  execution  of  his  prophetic  office,  Christ  abolished  the  Jew- 
ish, and  established  the  Christian  Church. 

Properly  speaking  there  has,  from  the  beginning,  existed  one 
Church,  and  but  one.  This  is  the  Church  of  Christ,  which  he 
purchased  with  his  own  bloed.  But  it  has  existed  under  differ- 
ent dispensations.  For  a  long  period  it  was  in  an  unembodied 
state,  without  a  testimony,  a  priesthood  or  an  altar.  Under 
Moses  it  was  brought  out  of  Egypt ;  had  a  visible  standing 
among  the  nations,  and  became  subject  to  a  great  variety  of  or- 
dinances.    Christ,  the  great  antitype  of  these,  being  now  incar- 

(a)  John,  V.  42.  Mat.  15,  19.  (6)  John,  3.  19.  (c)  John,  5,  40, 
and  6,  44.  [d]  John,  3.  5.  (e)  Mat.  II.  25.  (/)  John,  10.  30.  {g)  Mat 
20.  28.  Qi)  John,  3.  18.  [i]  Luke,  13.  3.  (7*)  John,  6.  29.  [k)  Mat 
16.  24.  (/)  Mat.  5.  44.  [m)  Mat.  5.  48.  in)  John,  10.  27.  [o)  John; 
5.  28.    ( p)  Mat.  25.  21 .    [q)  Mat.  23.  ^^. 


Chap.  1.        abolition  of  the  jewish  church.  117 

nate,  proceeded  to  their  abolition  ;  placed  the  Church  upon  a 
new  establishment,  and  erected  his  spiritual  kingdom,  whicli 
should  embrace  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  fill  the  earth  with 
its  glory. 

His  work  he  gradually  accomplished  by  referring  his  hearers 
to  ancient  Scriptures,  and  proving  from  them  that  he  was  the 
great  end  to  which  all  the  former  rites  and  sacrifices  did  tend, 
and  that  these  were  no  longer  of  use  when  he  should  appear ; 
— by  opening  wide  the  door  of  the  Church,  and  declaring  that 
he  would  draw  all  men,  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews  unto  him; — 
— by  disregarding  totally  the  Jewish  priesthood,  and  introdu- 
cing a  new  ministry  into  the  Church ; — by  passing  all  the  Jew- 
ish feasts,  and  instituting  the  Lord's  supper ; — by  substituting 
in  place  of  circumcision,  a  new  seal  to  the  covenant,  which  God 
made  with  his  people, — baptism,  the  washing  with  water  in  the 
name  of  the  sacred  Trinity,  and  commanding  its  imposition  not 
only  upon  Jews,  but  on  all  nations  ; — and  by  prescribing  in  place 
of  the  ceremonial  worship  of  the  Jews,  a  new,  simple  and  spirit- 
ual worship  which  should  be  offered  by  the  people  of  God,  not 
only  in  Jerusalem  but  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

In  these  various  ways  did  Christ  according  to  the  prediction 
of  Daniel,  cause  the  oblation  and  the  sacrifice  to  cease.  lie 
knew  this  would  be  the  result.  He  predicted  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  the  temple  and  its  services  ; — that  not  one  stone  of 
the  Temple  should  be  left  upon  another,  that  Jesusalem  should 
be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  and  that  all  this  should  como 
to  pass  during  the  continuance  of  that  generation. 

The  history  of  Christ's  priesthood  is  written  in  tears  and  in 
blood.  To  the  office  of  priest  he  was  called  of  God  and 
anointed  by  the  Spirit  of  grace,  which  was  poured  upon  him 
vi  ithout  measure.  For  it  he  was  eminently  fitted  ;  for  he  was 
iioly,  harmless,  undefiled  and  separate  from  sinners,  made  high- 
er than  the  heavens. 

In  his  priesthood  he  interceded  for  his  people.  Whole  nights 
he  spent  in  prayer.  Often  did  he  kneel  with  his  disciples  at 
the  throne  of  grace.  The  pardon  of  their  sins,  their  sanctifi- 
cation  and  final  salvation  were  blessings  for  which  he  often 
wrestled.  The  seventeenth  chapter  of  John  is  a  most  solemn 
and  melting  intercession  with  his  Father  for  all  his  followers  to 
the  end  of  the  world.  But  his  intercession  on  earth  was  but  the 
commencement  of  that  great  work  which  he  ever  lives  to  per- 
fect in  heaven.  There  stands  the  Lamb  before  the  throne, 
as  it  had  been  slain,  presenting  the  memorials  of  suffering,  and 


118  Christ's  priesthood.  Period  IIL 

pleading  with  the  God  of   grace,  and  opening  the  holy,  heav- 
enly places  to  all  his  ransomed  ones. 

Without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of  sin. 
This  is  a  fundamental  principle  in  the  moral  government  of 
God.  And  God  extended  mercy  to  the  first  parents  of  the  hu- 
man race,  only  in  view  of  a  great  propitiatory  sacrifice  in  a  fu- 
ture age.  To  regulate  the  faith  and  fix  the  hopes  of  his  peo- 
ple, the  priests,  under  the  law,  were  called  continually  to  offer 
sacrifices  and  oblations.  But  these  could  not  take  away  sin., 
Christ  alone  was  mighty  to  save,  and  he  came  to  take  away 
sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself.  This  may  emphatically  be  cal- 
led the  great  work  for  which  he  came  into  the  world — to  make 
"his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,"  "  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many,"  to  "  bear  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,"  to 
"  redeem  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law  being  made  a  curse 
for  us." 

How  he  could  offer  himself  a  sacrifice  for  sin  without  being 
guilty  of  suicide,  might  appear  inexplicable  to  us,  but  he  was 
to  be  slain  by  the  hands  of  wicked  men,  who  hated  him  without 
cause  ;  while  he  voluntarily  came  into  the  world  to  die  for  sin- 
ners ;  predicted  his  death,  and  could  at  any  moment  have  resist- 
ed all  human  power. 

With  calmness  and  solemnity  he  advanced  to  the  hour  of  his 
deep  humiliation,  his  excruciating  sufferings.  He  knew  what 
was  in  man.  He  saw  clearly  all  the  bitterness  and  malice  that 
was  kindled  in  the  breast  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  against 
hira,  and  he  knew  it  would  bring  hirn  to  the  most  awful  suffer- 
ings and  death.  But  he  did  not  avoid  them.  He  did  not  re- 
sist them.  He  resigned  himself  up  to  their  malignity  that  his 
work  might  be  accomplished.  Against  a  character  so  pure  and 
spotless  they  found  it  difficult  to  proceed.  They  often  endeav- 
oured to  catch  him  in  his  speech,  but  they  were  confounded 
and  driven  away  in  shame.  They  would  have  rushed  upon 
him  and  destroyed  him  without  the  forms  of  law ;  but  they 
feared  the  people. 

Among  his  disciples  was  Judas,  a  vile  hypocrite  ;  who  went 
to  the  Sanhedrim  and  agreed  to  betray  him  for  the  price  of  a 
slave,  Jesus  knew  his  treachery,  and  prepared  for  the  events 
which  awaited  hira.  Eleven  others  had  followed  him,  who 
were  very  dear  to  him,  and  with  them  he  purposed  to  keep  the 
passover  before  he  should  suffer.  While  at  table  with  the 
whole,  he  distinctly  pointed  out  Judas,  as  his  betrayer,  and  said 
to  him,  **  what  thou  doest,  do  quickly."  Judas  confounded  and 
vexed,   went  immediately  out.     The  passover  being  finished 


Chap.  1.  institution  of  the  supper.  119 

Jesus  consecrated  bread  and  wine,  and  instituted  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  supper,  which  he  told  them  to  observe  till  the  end 
of  time.  He  then  made  them  that  long  consolatory  address 
which  is  recorded  in  the  14th,  15th  and  16th  chapters  of  John  ; 
sang  an  hymn  ;  oifered  up  that  excellent  prayer  which  forms 
the  17th  chapter,  and  then  went  out,  about  midnight,  over  the 
brook  Kidron  to  the  garden  Gethsemane.  Here  he  thrice  re- 
tired from  his  disciples  for  prayer,  wrestling  with  God  that  if  it 
Avere  possible  and  consistent  with  the  divine  will,  his  sufferings 
might  be  prevented.  An  impression  and  fear  of  the  divine 
wrath  seemed  for  a  time,  to  overwhelm  him ;  and,  in  the  agony 
of  his  soul,  he  sweat,  as  it  were,  great  drops  of  blood.  But  his 
piety  rose  superior  to  his  fears  and  he  said,  with  holy  submis- 
sion,  "  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done." 

Before  the  day  dawned,  Judas  came  with  a  band  of  ruffians, 
and  took  him  and  brought  him  before  a  convention  of  priests 
and  elders.  As  they  could  find  nothing  of  which  to  accuse 
him,  they  employed  false  witnesses,  who  declared  that  he  had 
spoken  against  the  Temple.  But  Jesus  continued  silent.  At 
length,  the  High  priest  adjured  him  by  God,  to  tell  him  wheth- 
er he  was  the  Messiah.  Jesus  said  he  was ;  and  would  here- 
after, in  great  power  and  glory,  judge  the  world.  Caiaphas, 
immediately  rent  his  clothes  ;  accused  him  of  blasphemy ;  and 
the  whole  court  declared  him  worthy  of  death.  The  next  day 
they  tried  and  condemned  him  again  and  hurried  him  away  to 
the  judgment  hall  of  Pilate,  the  Roman  governor  ; — they  having 
lost  the  power  of  life  and  death.  Pilate  could  find  no  fault  in 
him,  and  sent  him  to  Herod,  then  in  Jerusalem  ;  because  he 
was  a  Galilean.  But  Herod  made  a  mock  of  him,  and  sent  him 
back  to  Pilate,  who  was  afraid  to  condemn  him.  But  the  Jews 
demanded  his  crucifixion,  and  wished  that  his  blood  might 
be  on  them  and  their  children.  Afraid  of  the  mob,  the  Roman 
governour  shamefully  yielded  to  their  intreaties,  and  condemn- 
ed him  to  the  death  of  the  cross.* 


*  The  Cross  consisted  of  an  upright  post  of  about  twelve  feet,  with 
a  cross  piece  over  the  top.  On  this  the  unhappy  sufferer  was  first 
laid.  His  arms  were  stretched  upon  the  cross  piece,  and  spikes  were 
driven  through  the  palms  of  his  hands,  and  throug-h  his  feet,  fastening- 
him  to  the  instrument  of  death.  The  whole  was  then  raised  in  the  air, 
and  suddenly  thrust  into  a  hole  for  its  support,  and  the  wretched  vic- 
tim was  there  left  to  hang,  until  through  loss  of  blood  or  hunger,  he 
in  intense  agony  expired  :  yea,  until  the  dead  body  was  borne  off  by 
carnivorous  birds. 


120  DEATH    OF    CHRIST.  PERIOD    III. 

Immediately  an  unbridled  populace  dragged  him  amid  the 
grossest  insults  and  abuse,  to  Golgotha,  the  place  of  execution, 
compelling  him  to  bear  his  cross.  Here  they  offered  him  vine- 
gar and  myrrh  mingled  with  gall ;  stripped  off  his  raiment  and 
nailed  him,  through  the  hands  and  feet,  to  the  accursed  instru- 
ment of  death.  Two  thieves  were  crucified  with  him,  one  on 
the  right  hand,  the  other  on  the  left.  On  the  top  of  his  cross 
was  written,  in  Hebrew,  Greek  and  Latin,  *  This  is  jesus  of 

NAZARETH,  THE  KING   OF  THE  JEWS. 

By  both  rulers  and  people,  he  was  ridiculed,  as  he  hung  sus- 
pended in  the  air ;  but,  with  his  dying  breath,  he  prayed  for  his 
murderers,  saying,  "  Father  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  At  first,  both  the  thieves  joined  in  upbraiding  him, 
but  one  became  convinced  of  his  guilt  and  was  the  object  of 
his  saving  mercy.  His  weeping  mother,  who  now  realized  the 
declaration  of  Simeon — "  Yea,  a  sword  shall  pierce  through 
thine  own  soul  also,"  he  commended  to  the  care  of  John,  the 
son  of  Zebedee.  About  noon,  when  he  had  hung  perhaps 
three  hours  on  the  cross,  the  sun  was  supernaturally  darkened 
three  hours  ;  and  under  the  hidings  of  God's  face,  Jesus  cried 
out,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?"  Some 
derided  him,  and  said  that  he  called  for  Elias.  Shortly  after, 
he  said,  "  I  thirst,"  and  they  gave  him  vinegar  to  drink.  He 
tasted  it ;  said  it  is  finished,  commended  his  soul  to  God  ;  bow- 
ed his  head  and  gave  up  the  ghost.  Thus  did  Christ  expiate 
the  sins  of  men.  Thus  did  he  bear  our  griefs  and  carry  our 
sorrows.  "  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  bruised 
for  our  iniquities,  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him, 
and  by  his  stripes  we  are  healed." 

When'he  expired,  the  veil  of  the  Temple  was  rent  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom,  to  signify  that  the  ceremonial  distinction  be- 
tween Jews  and  Gentiles  was  abolished ;  the  earth  shook  ;  the 
rocks  burst ;  graves  were  opened,  and  many  saints  which  slept, 
arose  and  appeared  in  Jerusalem.  The  spectators  were  filled 
with  terror.  The  centurion  exclaimed,  '*  thie  was  a  righteous 
man,  was  the  Son  of  God."  *'  And  all  the  people  that  came 
together  to  that  sight,  beholding  the  things  which  were  done, 
smote  their  breast  and  returned."  It  was  the  greatest  and  most 
solemn  event,  that  ever  did,  or  will  occur  to  the  end  of  time. 

The  crucified  body  of  our  Lord  was  committed  to  Joseph  of 
Arimathea,  and  decently  laid  in  a  new  grave  which  he  had  hewn 
out  of  a  rock  in  a  garden.  Christ  had  foretold  his  resurrection, 
and  the  rulers,  apprehensive  that  his  followers  might  steal  the 
body,  and  say  he  had  risen,  sealed  the  sepulchre,  and  placed 


ClIAP.    I.  Ills    EXALTATION.  121 

a  guard  to  watch  it,  until  the  third  day  had  passed.  But  all  the 
prudence  and  power  of  men,  could  not  frustrate  the  designs  of 
heaven.  God  had  determined  that  his  holy  One  should  not  see 
corruption.  It  was  necessary  that  Christ  should  rise  from  the 
dead,  that  he  might  gain  a  signal  victory  over  him  that  had  the  pow- 
er of  death,  and  become  the  resurrection  and  life  to  all  his  follow- 
ers. On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  from  his  crucifixion, 
was  a  terrible  earthquake.  An  angel  appeared,  in  a  glorious 
form,  causing  the  soldiers  to  flee  in  amazement,  and  rolled 
the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre.  The  prince  of  life  re- 
sumed his  breath  and  active  being,  and  went  forth  to  the  world 
a  triumphant  conqueror.  If  his  death  was  the  most  solemn  and 
awful  event,  his  resurrection  was  the  most  joyful  which  ever 
occurred.  Christ  came  forth  to  eternal  life.  "  Death  hath  no 
more  dominion  over  him."  "  1  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead, 
and  behold,  I  am  alive  forevermore,  Amen."  He  came  forth 
thefirst  fruits  of  them  that  slept,  to  give  new  evidence  of  his  di- 
vinity, and  of  the  resurrection  of  the  saints,  and  to  enter,  in  pre- 
sence of  the  v/orld,  into  his  glory.  He  mingled  not  much  again 
with  the  people.  He  was  seen  repeatedly  by  his  disciples,  and 
once  by  more  than  500  followers.  He  remained  on  earth 
forty  days,  instructing  in  the  things  of  his  kingdom.  At 
the  end  of  this  period,  he  met  his  disciples  at  Jerusalem;  direct- 
ed them  to  wait  there  until  they  should  be  endued  with  miracu- 
lous powers  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  then  go  and  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature.  He  told  them  of  his  almighty  power,  and 
assured  them  of  his  presence  with  them  and  their  successors  to 
the  end  of  time.  He  then  led  them  to  the  mount  of  Olives,  and 
there  blessed  them,  and  was  parted  from  them  and  carried  up  into 
heaven ;  there  to  intercede  for  his  Church  :  to  prepare  mansions 
for  his  followers  and  to  sit  on  his  throne  as  king  in  Zion,  who, 
through  all  ages  takes  care  of  his  Church,  controls  and  punish- 
es his  enemies,  and  will  be  glorified  in  them  that  believe. 

Thus  terminated  the  amazing  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God, 
Infidelity  has  seldom  had  the  effrontery  to  deny  the  existence  of 
this  illustrious  founder  of  the  Christian  religion.  The  difficul- 
ty of  accounting  for  the  existence  of  Christianity  in  the  world 
on  any  other  supposition  than  that  of  his  real  being,  has  proba- 
bly restrained  from  this.  But  Jesus  Christ  has  ever  been  a 
stumbling  block  to  the  Jew,  and  foolishness  to  the  Greek.  "  He 
came  unto  his  own,  but  his  own  received  him  not."  The 
Jews  looked  for  a  great  temporal  prince,  and  they  would  not 
endure  any   man  who  should  pretend  to  be  the  Messiah  in  a 

U 


122 


N.UMBER    AND  CHARACTER   OF 


Period  III. 


poor  and  low  condition.  The  Greek,  the  refined,  the  philoso* 
phical,  the  voluptuous,  in  every  age,  have  been  disgusted  with 
the  humble  and  spiritual  nature  of  his  kingdom  and  the  self- 
denying  precepts  he  has  placed  before  them.  But  whoever  looks 
carefully  at  the  birth,  life,  death,  resurrection  and  ascension  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth ;  at  all  the  ancient  types  and  prophecies* 
which  were  fulfilled  in  him ;  at  the  sublimity  of  his  doctrine  ; 
the  purity  of  his  precepts ;  the  holiness  and  beneficence  of  his 
fife,  the  number  and  character  of  the  miracles  he  wrought ; 
(for  he  healed  the  sick,  cleansed  lepers,  restored  sight  to  the 
blind,  caused  the  lame  to  walk,  cast  out  devils,  fed  thousands 
from  food  sufficient  only  for  a  few,  stilled  the  tempestuous  sea, 
raised  the  dead  to  life, — all  glorious  acts  of  benevolence,  and 
acts  of  infinite  power  only,)  whoever  considers  what  the  state  of 
t4iis  world  would  be,  did  all  mankind  receive  the  doctrines  and 
ti'uths,  and  obey  the  precepts  and  imitate  the  example  of 
Christ^; — must  exclaim,  as  did  the  Centurion  at  the  crucifixion-, 

XrCLY  Tins  WAS  THE  SoN  OF  GoD. 


CHAPTER  11. 


Number  and  character  of  Christ's  disciples.  Death  of  John 
the  Baptist.  The  twelve  Apostles  chosen.  The  seventy  sent. 
History  mid  character  of  the  twelve.     Descent  upon  them  of 


*  To  lead  the  reader  to  reflect  on  the  wonderful  minuteness  of  the 
prediction  relating  to  Christ  in  the  Old  Testament,  the  following  are 
subjoined  as  referred  to  in  the  single  evangelist  of  Matthew. 


Matthe.v 

Matthew 

Isaiah 

7.  14. 

1.  23. 

Jer.       7.     11. 

21.  13. 

Mich. 

5.    2. 

2.     6. 

Psalm    8.     2. 

21.  16. 

Hosea. 

U.     1. 

2.    15. 

118.  22 

21.  42. 

Jeremiah  3 J.  15. 

2    18. 

110.     1. 

22.  44. 

Judges 

13.  15. 

2.  23. 

Is.           8.  14. 

21.  44. 

Is. 

40.    3. 

3.     2. 

Ps.        41.     9. 

26.  33. 

Is. 

9.     1. 

4    15. 

Zach.   13.     7. 

26.  31. 

Is. 

53.    4. 

8.    17. 

Is.         50.     6. 

26.  67. 

Is. 

42.     1. 

12.    17. 

Zach.    11.   13. 

27.     9. 

Jonah 

1.  17. 

12.  40. 

Psalm  22.   18. 

27    35. 

Is. 

6.  9 

13.  14. 

22.     2. 

27.  46. 

Psalm 

78.     2. 

13.  35. 

69.  21. 

27.  48. 

Isaiah 

35.  5,  6. 

15.  30. 

Isaiah  53.     9- 

27.  60. 

Zach. 

9.     9. 

21.     5. 

Chap.  -2,  Christ's  disciples.  123* 

tlie  Holy  Ghost,  Outponring  of  the  Spirit  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  Three  thousand  added  to  the  Church.  Boldness 
and  success  of  Peter  and  John.  Holiness  and  harmony  of 
the  Church.  Detection  of  Hypocrisy.  Institution  of  the 
office  of  deacon.  Martyrdom  of  Stephen.  Persecution  and^ 
dispersion  of  the  Church.  The  gospel  carried  to  the  Sama^ 
ritans  and  dispersed  Jews.     Conversion  of  Saul. 

The  astonishment  excited  by  the  appearance,  preaching  and 
miracles  of  Christ,  was  such,  as  we  might  naturally  look  for 
from  their  novel  and  divine  character.  But  the  ill  success  of  his 
ministry  can  never  be  satisfactorily  accounted  for  by  those  who 
deny  that  man  is  alienated  from  his  Maker,  and  that  salvation 
is  "  not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of 
God  that  sheweth  mercy."  Immense  multitudes  constantly 
pressed  upon  him  wherever  he  went,  either  to  hear  his  doc- 
trines or  witness  his  miracles  ;  but  very  few  became  sincerely 
attached  to  his  person ;  very  few  were  even  convinced  that  he 
was  the  Messiah  and  entered  his  spiritual  kingdom.  Those  who 
were  assembled  at  Jerusalem  after  his  ascension,  are  said  to 
have  been  but  about  an  hundred  and  twenty  ;  and  at  that  great 
meeting  in  Galilee,  where  all  who  were  attached  to  his  cause 
that  could  conveniently  assemble,  were  probably  gathered  to- 
.frether,  there  were  but  about  five  hundred.  Well  might  the 
prophet  Isaiah  commence  his  fifty-third  chapter,  containing 
a  remarkable  exhibition  of  the  humiliation  and  sufferings  of 
Christ,  with  the  exclamation,  ''  Who  hath  heard  our  report 
and  to  whom  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord  revealed  !"  But  Christ 
knew  it  to  be  for  the  best,  and  he  rejoiced  in  spirit  at  the  dis- 
pensations of  grace. 

But  few  of  his  followers  were  among  the  rich  or  the  noble. 
We  indeed  read  of  Zaccheus,  a  man  of  wealth  ;  Nicodemus, 
a  ruler ;  Joseph,  an  honourable  counsellor  ;  and  a  certain  no- 
bleman, who  believed  with  all  his  house — evincing  that  divine 
grace  can  triumph  over  the  most  exalted  condition  of  life  ;  but 
the  mass  of  his  friends  were  from  the  lower  ranks,  and  his  spe- 
cial favourites  were  Galileans,  a  despised  people,  and  chiefly 
fishermen  or  publicans.  His  own  life  was  one  of  great  poverty 
and  reproach ;  and  his  doctrines  marred  the  pride  of  the  noble 
and  condemned  the  luxurious  habits  of  the  wealthy. 

John  the  Baptist,  who  united  in  himself  the  two  dispensa- 
tions, the  old  and  the  new,  was  perhaps  the  first  who  received 
Jesus.  He  pointed  him  out  to  others,  as  the  Lamb  of  God.  He 
had  become  the  head  of  a  religious  sect  and  had  many  follow* 


124  TWELVE    APOSTLES    CHOSEN,  PERIOD  III 

ers,  whom  he  had  baptized.  But  when  informed  that  Jesus  had 
begun  to  preach  and  to  baptize  by  his  disciples  and  that  the 
whole  country  was  going  after  him,  he  shewed  the  greatest  hu- 
mility and  submission  to  him  as  his  exalted  Redeemer.  He 
declared  that  he  had  no  honour  but  that  which  came  from  God  : 
and  that  he  could  have  no  greater  joy  than  in  seeing  Christ 
increase,  while  he  should  decrease.  He  recommended  Jesus 
as  endowed  with  an  unmeasurable  fulness  of  the  Holy  Ghost : 
and  assured  all  who  heard  him,  that  the  wrath  of  God  would 
abide  on  unbelievers  in  his  gospel. 

John  was  for  a  time  revered  by  Herod  ;  but  he  had  the  faith- 
ftilness  to  reprove  that  vile  man  for  marrying  his  brother's  wife, 
and  was  imprisoned.  Laid  aside  from  his  work,  his  faith  seems 
in  some  degree  to  have  failed  ;  he  therefore  sent  two  of  his  dis- 
ciples to  ask  Jesus  if  he  was  the  Messiah.  Perhaps  he  de- 
signed also  to  turn  their  attention  from  himself  to  the  great 
Redeemer.  Jesus  told  them  to  declare  to  John  what  miracles 
he  performed,  and  the  great  fact  which  distinguished  him  as 
a  teacher  from  all  the  philosophers  which  had  ever  undertaken 
to  instruct  mankind.  That  to  the  poor  the  gospel  was  preached. 
Soon  after,  he  was  beheaded  to  gratify  the  malice  of  Herodias, 
' — excited  by  his  bold  reproof  of  Herod.  His  disciples  took 
liis  body  and  buried  it,  and  went  and  told  Jesus.  The  Pharisees 
said  he  had  a  devil,  but  Christ  bore  witness  of  him  as  one  of 
the  greatest  and  best  of  men. 

From  among  his  followers,  Jesus  selected  twelve  to  be  his 
daily  companions  and  intimete  associates,  whom  he  commis- 
sioned as  Apostles  or  preachers  of  his  Gospel.  This  number, 
was  probably  chosen,  in  correspondence  to  the  twelve  patriarchs, 
or  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  It  signified  that  he  was  head  or  High 
priest  of  the  Jewish  nation.  The  persons  chosen,  were  Simon 
Peter,  and  Andrew,  his  brother  ;  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and 
John,  his  brother  ;  Philip,  and  Bartholomew  ;  Thomas,  and 
Matthew  ;  James,  the  son  of  Alpheus,  and  Simon,  called  Ze- 
lotes  ;  Judas,  the  brother  of  James,  and  Judas  Iscariot.  Their 
mission  was  confined  at  first,  to  the  land  of  Israel.  They  were 
directed  to  declare  tothelostsheepof  the  house  of  Israel,  that  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  the  kingdom  which  was  the  subject  of  proph- 
ecy, which  they  and  their  fathers  had  looked  for  with  the  greatest 
anxiety,  and  which  the  Messiah  was  to  set  up,  was  at  hand  ; 
and,  as  a  confirmation  of  their  doctrine,  they  were  empowered  to 
work  miracles,  to  heal  diseases,  cast  out  devils,  and,  in  many 
other  ways,  suspend  or  counteract  the  laws  of  nature.  They 
were  cast  upon  the  charity  of  the  people  for  support,  and  were 


i 


Chap.  '2.  the  seventy  sent.  125 

directed  to  shake  off  the  dust  of  their  feet,  against  any  family  or 
city  which  should  reject  them. 

At  a  subsequent  period,  he  commissioned  and  sent  forth 
seventy  other  disciples  (answering  evidently  in  number  to  the 
Sanhedrim,  and  shewing  thereby,  that  their  power  had  passed 
into  his  hands,)  on  the  same  errand,  two  by  two  ;  giving  them 
similar  authority,  and  commending  them  in  like  manner,  to  the 
charity  of  the  public.  They  were  holy  men  ;  but  it  was  a  new 
and  wonderful  employment,  and  they  were  put  in  possession  oi 
powers  whicli  made  them  appear  asgot's  upon  earth.  No  won- 
der, therefore,  that  they  should  soon  return,  as  they  actually 
did,  not  a  little  elated  with  the  fact,  that  even  the  devils  were 
subject  to  them  through  his  name.  But  Christ  solemnly  ad- 
monished them  to  beware  of  pride  which  had  hurled  Satan 
from  heaven  ;  and  told  them,  that  he  indeed  enabled  them  to 
tread  on  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  over  all  the  power  of  the 
enemy  j  but  that  they  must  not  rejoice  in  this,  that  they  held 
the  spirits  in  subjection,  but  rather  that  their  names  were  writ- 
ten in  heaven. 

But  the  twelve  constituted  his  family.  They  were  his  inti- 
mate friends,  his  chosen  companions.  He  therefore,  sent  them 
forth  but  once  during  his  life  to  preach  the  gospel.  When  he 
travelled,  they  accompanied  him.  What  he  spake  in  parables  to 
the  multitude,  he  privately  expounded  to  them.  When  he  fed 
the  multitude,  they  distributed  the  provision.  They  were  with 
him  in  his  retirement,  and  partook  of  the  supper  at  its  first  in- 
stitution. He  often  talked  to  them  about  his  sufferings,  and 
.committed  to  them  the  keys  of  his  kingdom. 

With  the  exception  of  Judas,  the  traitor,  they  were  sincere  men . 
Their  hearts  had  been  changed  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  They  admi- 
red, loved,  and  trusted  their  Saviour,  shared  with  him  his  pri- 
vations and  sorrows,  and  devoted  themselves  entirely  to  his  ser- 
vice. When  they  were  first  called  lo  follow  Christ,  they  were 
very  ignorant.  Matthew  had  been  a  publican  or  tax-gather- 
er ;  the  others,  were  all,  probably,  fishermen  of  Galilee.  But 
under  the  instruction  and  guidance  of  Christ,  they  made  rapid 
advancement  in  the  knowledge  of  divine  things  ;  and,  with  his 
holy  example  daily  before  them,  they  soon  learned  to  set  lightly 
by  the  world,  to  treat  one  another  with  condescension,  kindness 
and  love,  and  to  live  as  expectants  of  a  better  country. 

While  the  grace  of  God  had  enlightened  their  understand- 
ings and  purified  their  affections,  it  left  unchanged  their  natu- 
ral constitution  or  animal  temperament,  so  that  as  great  a  diversity 
of  character  is  observable  among  them,  as  among  anv  others  of 

11* 


i26  TRIALS    OF   THE    DISCIPLES.  PeRIOD    III 

the  same  number,  in  the  various  conditions  of  life  ;  and  so  dis- 
tinctly are  the  good  and  bad  qualities  of  each,  marked  and  pre- 
served throughout  their  course,  as  to  furnish  a  striking  evidence 
of  the  authenticity  and  truth  of  the  sacred  history. 
.  With  great  fidelity  they  had  followed  Jesus  through  good  report 
and  ill  report,  and  they  thought  they  could  follow  him  to  death. 
Christ  knew  that  they  would  fail  in  the  moment  of  trial,  and  as- 
sured them  of  it  ;  but  Peter,  always  ardent,  bold,  and  warmly 
attached  to  his  master,  declared,  that  though  all  men  should  de- 
ny him,  he  would  not.  But  when  the  band  of  soldiers  bound 
Christ,  betrayed  by  Judas,  all  forsook  him  and  fled  ;  and,  though 
Peter  followed  and  mingled  with  the  crowd,  at  the  trial,  yet, 
when  charged  with  being  one  of  his  followers,  he  declared,  with 
an  oath,  I  know  not  the  man.  Jesus  beheld  him  at  the  mo- 
ment.    Peter's  heart  melted,  and  he  went  out  and  wept  bitter- 

The  season  of  Christ's  suffering  and  burial,  was  to  the  Apos- 
tles, one  of  thick  darkness  and  awful  perplexity.  Their  mas- 
ter they  beheld  hanging  upon  a  cross.  He,  to  whom  they  had 
looked  for  crowns  and  sceptres,  was  laid  low  in  the  sepulchre 
of  Joseph.  For  three  days,  they  were  borne  down  by  sorrow  ; 
agitated  with  fear,  and  enveloped  in  gloom.  But,  like  the  sun 
emerging  from  the  shade  of  some  heavenly  body,  and  suddenly 
giving  light  and  joy  to  millions,  from  v/hom  it  had  been  obscur- 
ed ;  Jesus  came  forth  from  the  shades  of  death  to  the  view  of 
his  despondent  disciples,  and  gave  them  new  vigour  and  life. 
By  this  event,  more  wonderful  and  astonishing  than  any  thing 
they  had  as  yet  witnessed,  their  confidence  in  Christ  was  great- 
ly animated  and  strengthened.  It  was  both  a  fulfilment  of  his 
promise,  and  a  most  triumphant  conquest  over  death  and  hell. 

But  their  views  of  the  nature  of  his  kingdom  were  as  yet  im- 
perfect. With  the  nation  in  general,  they  were  impressed  with 
the  idea,  that  Messiah's  kingdom  was  of  this  world.  When, 
therefore,  he  appeared  after  his  resurrection,  they  asked  him, 
"  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel  V 
But  this  error  was  soon  erased  from  their  minds  by  his  conversa- 
tion, and  by  his  ascension  to  heaven.  That  great  ervent,  put  a  fi- 
nal period  to  every  expectation  they  had  cherished  of  an  earth- 
ly kingdom.  And  it  was  a  most  illustrious  confirmation  of  the 
truth  of  his  pretensions.  For  had  he  now  descended  to  the 
grave,  and  perished  like  the  world  around  him,  all  his  wonder- 
ful works,  even  his  resurrection,  might  not  have  been  sufficient. 
to  dissuade  some  from  the  belief  that  he  was  an  impostor,  who 
never  expired,  though  he  hung   upon  the  cross,  and   that  he 


UflAP.    '2.  PENTECOST    DAY.  127 

would  never  enable  them  to  realize  his  promises.  But,  now,  af- 
ter accompanying  him  through  the  whole  of  his  ministry,  and 
hearing  him  speak  words  which  never  man  spake  ;  and  seeing 
him  perform  works  which  never  man  did  ;  after  beholding  him 
hanging  on  the  cross,  laid  in  the  tomb,  and  according  to  his 
ov.n  express  prediction,  bursting  the  bands  of  death,  and 
rising  to  their  view  ;  after  this,  to  behold  him  ascend  on  high, 
to  see  him  go  to  that  heaven,  where  he  had  promised  to 
prepare  for  them  mansions  of  bliss,  they  were  all  ready  to 
exclaim  with  one  mind  and  one  voice.  Surely  the  Lord  He 
IS  God.  They  saw  Jesus  go  where  no  impostor  can  go.  They 
saw  him  ascend,  not  like  Elijah  by  means  of  a  chariot  of  fire, 
but  in  a  manner  far  more  sublime  and  wonderful,  by  his  own 
Almighty  power  ;  and  while  wrapt  in  astonish-ment,  were  in- 
formed by  two  angels  that  he  had  gone  to  heaven,  and  would 
come  in  like  manner,  as  they  had  seen  him  go  to  heaven.  By 
this  event,  therefore,  their  views  were  greatly  changed,  and 
their  faith  was  established  too  firmly  to  be  shaken.  From  the 
mount  Olivet  they  returned  to  Jerusalem,  where  they  continued 
with  one  accord  in  prayer  and  supplication,  until  the  fulfilment 
of  the  promise  of  the  Father  to  baptize  them  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  By  this  they  were  to  be  still  more  enlightened  in  the 
nature  of  the  Gospel  kingdom  ;  to  receive  the  gift  of  tongues  ; 
and  to  be  endued  with  new  fortitude  and  zeal  in  their  master's 
service. 

Their  number  had  been  diminished  by  the  villanous  perfidy 
of  Judas.  When  he  saw  that  he  had  betrayed  innocent  blood, 
smitten  by  remorse  of  conscience,  he  returned  the  thirty  pieces 
of  silver,  and  went  and  hanged  himself — an  au'ful  warning  to  all 
apostates.  The  disciples  were  desirous  of  filling  his  place,  and 
while  they  waited  in  prayer  for  the  descent  of  the  Spirit,  they 
appointed  Barnabas  and  Matthias,  as  candidates  for  the  Apos- 
tolic office  ;  looked  up  for  divine  direction,  and  cast  lots.  The 
lot  fell  upon  Matthias,  and  he  was  numbered  with  the  Apostles. 
In  this  act,  however,  they  were  premature.  It  was  for  Christ 
to^choose  his  own  Apostles  ;  and,  in  due  time,  he  selected  Saul 
and  called  him  to  the  Apostleship. 

Having  their  number  as  they  supposed,  complete,  and  being  all 
united  in  love,  and  engaged  in  fervent  prayer,  they  soon  receiv- 
ed the  promised  blessing.  It  came  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  ; — 
an  era  of  the  divine  mercy.  Suddenly  the  place,  in  which  they 
were,  was  shaken  as  by  a  rushing  mighty  wind — an  emblem,  as 
Nicodemus  had  been  taught,  of  the  Spirit  ;  and  they  beheld  in 
the  room  cloven  tongues,  like  as  of  fire,  which  sat  upon  each  of 
them.     Instantly  their  minds  were  more  enlightened,  their  hearts 


]-28  GIFT  OF   TONGUES.  PeRIOD    III. 

were  filled  with  more  love  and  zeal  for  Christ,  they  were  strength- 
ened, animated,  and  joyful  ;  and,  to  their  own  utter  amaze- 
ment, were  enabled  to  speak  the  various  languages  of  man- 
kind. 

This  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  formed  a  new  era  in  the  lives 
of  the  Apostles,  and  of  the  Church  of  God.  We  no  longer  find 
the  Twelve,  the  ignorant,  timid,  worldly-minded  men  they  had 
been.  The  nature  of  Christ's  kingdom  ;  the  benevolence  of  his 
errand ;  the  perishing  condition  of  the  world  ;  their  high  and 
holy  office  ;  were  all  full  before  them,  and  took  an  amazing 
hold  of  their  minds  and  hearts.  They  now  cheerfully  sacrificed 
the  world,  were  ready  to  go  forth  and  stand  before  Kings  and 
Gentiles  and  Jews,  preaching  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ, 
and  to  lay  down  their  lives,  if  Christ  might  be  glorified  in 
them. 

They  instantly  commenced  their  ministry,  by  preaching  the 
gospel  according  to  Christ's  express  command,  first  to  the  Jews  ; 
that,  if  possible,  they  might  bring  that  deluded  people  to  the 
saving  knowledge  of  the  truth.  Astonishment  filled  the  minds 
of  ail  who  heard  them.  Jerusalem  was  at  that  time  crowded 
with  Jews  from  every  country.  In  consequence  of  the  numer- 
ous wars  in  which  they  had  for  centuries  been  engaged,  with  the 
heathen  nations,  the  people  were  scattered  in  all  parts  of  the  Ro- 
man empire.  Multitudes  had  from  time  to  time  been  carried 
away  captive,  and  not  a  few  had  gone  from  their  own  land  for 
security  and  peace.  These  generally  adopted  the  language  of 
the  people  among  whom  they  resided  ;  but  strictly  adhered  to 
the  religion  of  their  fathers  ;  and,  as  much  as  possible,  the  pi- 
ous among  them,  went  annually  to  Jerusalem,  to  the  feast  of 
Pentecost.  At  the  very  moment,  therefore,  that  the  Apostles 
were  endued  with  the  wonderful  powers  of  speaking  in  divers 
tongues,  there  w^ere  devout  men  out  of  every  nation  in  Jerusa- 
lem ; — Parthians  and  Modes,  and  Elamites,  and  the  dwellers  in 
Mesopotamia,  and  in  Judea,  and  Cappadocia,  in  Pontus,  and 
Asia,  Phrygia  and  Pamphylia,  in  Egypt,  and  in  the  parts  of  Ly- 
bia  about  Cyrene,  and  strangers  of  Rome,  Jews  and  Proselytes, 
Cretes  and  Arabians  ;  —all  these  heard  the  Apostles  speak,  ev- 
ery man,  in  the  tongue  in  which  he  was  born.  The  native 
Jews  who  understood  not  these  languages,  and  were  disposed 
to  ridicule  the  Apostles,  said,  "  These  men  are  full  of  new 
wine."  The  charge  roused  the  spirit  of  Peter,  and,  in  an  ever 
memorable  sermon,  he  shewed  them  the  utter  improbability  of 
the  thing,  from  its  being  only  the  third  hour  of  the  day, 
when  no  Jew  was  ever  found  in  that  situation  ;  that  this  was  an 


Chap.  2.  first  christiAxV  church.  1*20 

accomplishment  of  a  prophecy  of  Joel,  by  the  power  of  that  Je- 
sus whom  they  had  rejected  before  Pilate,  and  with  wicked  hands 
crucified  and  slain  ;  but  who,  according  to  the  prediction  of  Da- 
vid, God  had  raised  up  to  sit  on  his  throne.  A  close  application 
of  truth  to  their  consciences  ;  a  bold  charge  upon  them  as  mur- 
derers of  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory,  was  not  made  in  vain.  The 
multitude  were  pricked  in  the  heart.  Curiosity  at  the  wonder- 
ful miracle,  was  turned  into  distress  for  themselves.  They  felt, 
that  they  were  exposed  to  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God  for  their 
vile  treatment  of  his  Son  ;  and  exclaimed,  in  the  anguish  of 
their  souls,  Men  and  brethren  what  must  we  do  ?  Peter  open- 
ed to  them  the  treasures  of  the  gospel,  and  directed  them  to 
that  same  Jesus  whom  they  had  crucified,  for  eternal  life.  He 
called  them  to  immediate  repentance,  and  submission  to  God  in 
the  ordinances  of  the  gospel  ;  assuring  them  of  the  remission 
of  their  sins,  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  effect  was 
glorious.  Three  thousand  were  converted  to  the  Lord,  and,  on 
a  profession  of  faith  and  repentance,  were  baptized  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 

This  was  the  first  administration  of  Christian  baptism,  and  the 
commencement  of  the 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

To  us,  it  may  appear  surprising  that  so  much  should 
have  been  effected  in  one  day.  It  was  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing when  Peter  began  his  sermon,  and  with  many  other  words 
besides  those  which  are  recorded,  did  he  exhort  the  people  to 
salvation.  It  could  iiave  been  only  therefore  in  the  after  part 
of  the  day,  that  their  confession  was  received  and  they  were 
baptized  and  admitted  into  a  covenant  relation  with  God.  But 
the  Apostles  were  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  able,  probably,  to 
discern  spirits  ;  and,  if  some  were  received,  who  were  not  sin- 
cere converts,  it  was  only  in  accordance  with  a  well  known 
principle  of  Christ's  Church,  that  there  must  be  tares  with  the 
wheat.  The  conduct  of  the  Apostles,  however,  cannot  be  view- 
ed as  a  warrant  for  ministers  in  succeeding  outpourings  of  the 
Spirit,  to  receive  a  multitude  upon  their  first  expression  of  peni- 
tence and  faith,  into  the  Church  of  God  ;  for,  by  their  fruits, 
we  must  know  them. 

This  glorious  work  of  grace  resulted  not  only  in  the  submis- 
sion  of  multitudes  to  Christian  ordinances  ;  but  in  much  holi- 
ness of  heart  and  life.  The  enmity  of  the  heart  to  divine  truth, 
was  subdued^  and  the  doctrine  of  the  Apostles  was  received  in 


130f  ITS    HOLINESS    AND    IIARMOXY.  PeRIOD    III 

love.  A  spiritual  union  and  fellowship  was  formed,  to  which 
the  world  were  strangers.  The  selfish  heart  was  laid  aside,  and 
a  new  and  unheard  of  benevolence  was  substituted  in  its  place. 
The  most  of  these  converts  were  poor.  Such  of  them  as  were 
rich,  sold  their  possessions  and  threw  all  they  had  into  a  com- 
mon fund  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole.  The  fear  of  the  Lord 
came  upon  every  soul,  and  a  spirit  of  prayer  was  excited  in  ev- 
ery breast.  Common  food  was  received  with  a  gladness  before 
unknown;  and  in  the  Lord's  supper  and  the  worship  of  the  Tem- 
ple, a  joy  was  felt  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  So  powerful 
and  happy  were  the  results  of  that  great  revival  of  religion. 

In  one  sense,  it  was  miraculous  ;  but  in  no  other,  than  is  ev- 
ery revival.  It  was  not  effected  by  the  miracles  the  Apostles 
wrought.  Had  they  spoken  in  divers  tongues  with  the  same 
fluency  on  any  other  subject,  no  such  effects  would  have  been 
produced.  It  was  effected  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  truth  ; — by  presenting  plainly 
to  men,  their  sin  and  danger,  and  calling  them  to  repentance 
and  holiness.  Joel  had,  ages  before,  predicted  this  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit,  and  the  sacred  historian  says,  it  was  the  Lord  that 
added  daily  to  the  Church,  of  such  as  should  be  saved.  Here, 
therefore,  as  in  all  revivals,  we  see  God  effecting  his  great  pur- 
poses of  sanctifying  mercy,  while  men  are  awakened  and  turned 
to  the  Lord  by  the  truth. 

Soon  after  the  day  of  Pentecost,  Peter  and  John  cured  a  well 
known  beggar,  of  lameness.  This  miracle  brought  together  a 
great  concourse  of  people  ;  and  Peter  embraced  the  opportuni- 
ty to  charge  upon  them  the  sin  of  crucifying  Christ  and  call 
them  to  repentance.  The  multitude  listened  with  the  most 
profound  attention.  But  the  magistrates,  who  were  Sadducees 
and  enemies  to  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  were  grieved 
and  vexed,  and  rushed  upon  the  Apostles,  and  put  them  in 
prison  unto  the  next  day.  They  then  brought  them  before  the 
High  priest  and  council,  and  asked  by  what  authority  or  power 
they  did  this  1  Peter,  who  once  trembled  at  the  voice  of  a 
maid,  answered  with  astonishing  boldness,  '  In  the  name  of  Je- 
sus of  Nazareth  whom  they  had  crucified,  but  whom  God  had 
raised  up,  and  in  whom  alone  salvation  was  to  be  found.'  The 
magistrates  were  afraid  to  touch  them.  The  boldness  of  Peter 
was  unexpected,  and  the  miracle  none  could  deny.  -  They  dis- 
missed them,  charging  them  no  more  to  speak  in  the  name  of 
Christ.  The  Apostles  departed,  protesting  against  the  charge, 
and  held  a  meeting  for  prayer,  in  which  they  enjoyed  much  of 
the  divine  presence  and  blessing,  and  were  animated  to  go  fortli 
with  new  boldness  in  the  cause  of  Christ. 


Chap.  2.  detection  of  hypocrisy,  131 

The  number  of  disciples  was  now  increased  to  above  five 
thousand,  and  they  lived  in  great  harmony  and  love  ; — were  fol- 
lowers of  God  as  dear  children. 

But  as  it  had  been  in  the  Jewish,  so  was  it  in  the  Christiafi 
Church.  All  were  not  Israel,  who  were  of  Israel.  There 
had  been  a  Judas  among  tlie  twelve  ;  and  now,  among  the  con- 
verts to  Christianity,  were  brought  to  light  two  gross  hypocrites. 
Ananias  and  Sapphira  pretended  to  give  unto  the  Lord  all  their- 
possessions,  while  they  gave  only  a  part.  Peter  exposed  their 
deceit,  and  the  Lord  struck  them  dead.  It  ^vas  an  awful  judg- 
ment ;  but  it  shewed  the  Church  the  sin  of  hypocrisy  ;  the  im- 
possibility of  concealing  any  thing  from  God  ;  and  must  have 
led  every  professor  to  a  serious  and  careful  examination  of  his 
own  state. 

The  influences  of  the  Spirit,  were  long  continued.  Converts 
were  multiplied.  The  Apostles  were  endued  with  aston- 
ishing powers  of  healing.  The  sick  were  brought  from  all  the 
cities  round  about  Jerusalem,  and  cured  of  their  diseases ;  and 
while  the  attention  of  the  multitude  was  thus  excited  by  suc?v 
wonderful  works  of  mercy,  their  hearts  were  melted  by  the  pow- 
er of  the  Gospel. 

The  continued  success  of  the  Apostles  again  aroused  the  in*- 
dignation  of  the  rulers,  who  hated  every  thing  which  called  the 
attention  of  men  to  a  future  world.  They  seized  them  once 
more  and  cast  them  into  the  common  prison.  But  what  could 
bars  and  bolts  do  against  the  power  of  the  Almighty?  God  sent 
his  angel  at  midnight  and  opened  the  prison  doors,  and  bade 
them  go  preach  in  the  Temple.  What  a  miracle  !  How  musi 
it  have  confounded  these  hardened  rulers  !  It  ought  to  have 
subdued  them.  But  they  once  more  summoned  the  Apostles 
to  appear  before  them  and  enquired  how  they  dared  fill  Jerusa- 
lem with  their  doctrine  and  bring  Christ's  blood  upon  them. 
Peter  soberly  but  boldly  told  them  they  must  obey  God,  rather 
than  man,  and  again  charged  them  with  the  crucifixion  of 
Christ,  whom  God  had  exalted  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour. 
Instant  death  would  probably  have  been  their  portion,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  timely  counsel  of  Gamaliel,  an  eminent  doctor  of 
the  law.  He  told  the  rulers  to  let  them  alone,  for  if  their  work 
was  of  men,  it  would  come  to  nought,  but  if  it  was  of  God, 
they  could  not  overthrow  it,  and  it  behooved  them  to  be 
careful  not  to  fight  against  God.  His  advice  was  followed. 
The  Apostles  were  only  beaten  and  charged  to  keep  silence. 
But  they  were  not  moved.  They  departed,  rejoicing  that  they 
were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  Christ. 


i[32  INSTITUTION    OF   DEACONS.  PeRIOD  III 

A  circumstance  about  this  time  occurred  which  occasioned 
the  creation  of  a  new  office  in  the  Church,  The  Church  em- 
braced both  native  and  foreign  Jews.  The  latter  were  called 
Hellenists  or  Grecians,  because  they  spoke  the  Greek  tongue. 
These  supposed  that,  in  the  daily  supply  of  the  poor,  the  Apos- 
tles had  shewn  a  partiality  for  tlie  widows  of  the  Hebrews  ;  and 
murmured  against  them.  The  Apostles  immediately  called  to- 
gether the  disciples  and  informed  them  that  seven  men  of  emi- 
nent piety  must  be  appointed  to  superintend  that  business ; 
while  they  would  confine  themselves  to  prayer  and  preaching. 
Their  advice  was  followed,  and  Stephen,  Philip,  Procorus,  Ni- 
canor,  Timon,  Parmenas  and  Nicolas,  were  appointed,  and  or- 
dained to  the  office  of  deacon  by  prayer  and  the  imposition  of 
hands. 

These  men  were  bold  and  strong  in  the  faith  of  Christ.  Ste- 
phen, especially,  was  empowered  to  work  miracles,  and  to  re- 
sist and  overcome  all  opposition  which  was  made  by  disputers 
to  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  His  ability  and  success  excited  the 
malice  of  the  wicked  ;  and  they  suborned  men  to  accuse  him  of 
blasphemy.  Upon  being  called  to  answer  the  charge,  he  boldly 
rebuked  the  Jews,  by  giving  a  history  of  their  nation  and  shew- 
ing that,  in  betraying  and  murdering  Christ  they  had  but  imita- 
ted the  conduct  of  their  fathers,  who  treated  Moses  and  the 
Prophets  with  contempt.  '"'  They  were  cut  to  the  heart  and 
gnashed  on  him  with  the  teeth."  But  he  "  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  looked  up  stedfastly  to  heaven  and  saw  the  glory  of  God 
and  Jesus  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  God."  Of  this,  he 
made  full  confession.  It  filled  his  enemies  with  madness,  and 
they  cast  him  out  of  the  city  and  stoned  him  to  death.  With 
his  expiring  breath,  he  commended  his  soul  to  God  ;  like  his 
divine  master,  prayed  for  his  murderers,  and  fell  asleep. 
Thus  died  the  first  Christian  Martyr,  full  of  faith  and  hope ; 
and  favored  with  clear  views  of  his  Redeemer.  He  was 
buried  by  the  Church  with  great  lamentation ;  but  his  spi- 
rit had  ascended  to  glory. 

Blood  had  now  been  shed  ;  and  it  was  the  signal  of  a  tremen- 
dous persecution  of  the  followers  of  Jesus.  They  were  unable 
to  stand  before  it,  and  fled  from  Jesusalem  to  the  surrounding 
country.  But  they  were  not  deterred  from  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel. On  the  contrary,  they  were  excited  to  greater  boldness ; 
and,  wherever  they  went,  they  proclaimed  Christ  and  the  resur- 
rection. Philip,  the  next  to  Stephen  in  faith  and  zeal  and  who 
was  also  a  preaclier,  carried  the  Gospel  to  the  Samaritans,  and 
instructed  and  baptized  an  Eunuch  of  the  queen  of  Etbiopin. 


i 


OlIAP.  *2.  PERSECUTION    BY    SAUL.  133 

whom  he  met  in  the  way,  returning  from  Jerusalem,  where  he 
had  been  to  worship.  Others  travelled  as  far  as  Phenice,  Cyprus 
and  Antioch,  preaching  to  Jews  only  ;  but  by  their  labours, 
many  converts  weremade  and  many  Churches  were  established. 
Thus  was  the  blood  of  the  martyrs,  the  seed  of  the  Church. 
The  disciples  were  driven  from  Jerusalem,  that  they  might  dif- 
fuse the  Gospel  through  the  earth. 

Among  the  bitter  persecutors  of  the  followers  of  the  Redeem- 
er, was  one,  whose  life  and  actions,  form  a  most  interesting  por- 
tion of  the  history  of  the  Church.  This  was  Saul  of  Tarsus 
His  parents  were  Jews,  who  resided  in  that  city.  According  to 
the  custom  of  the  Jews,  with  whom  it  was  a  leading  maxim, 
'*  He  who  teaches  not  his  son  a  trade,  teaches  him  to  be  a  thief," 
he  was  early  taught  a  particular  trade, — tent-making.  He  was 
next  sent  to  Jerusalem  and  put  under  the  instruction  of  Gama- 
liel, the  most  eminent  doctor  of  the  age,  that  he  might  become 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  Jewish  law.  He  was  a  youth  of 
noble  endowments  ;  of  commanding  eloquence  ;  in  religion,  of 
the  straitest  sect  of  the  Pharisees  ;  in  temper,  proud,  active,  fie- 
ry, not  able  to  brook  opposition,  and  feeling  it  to  be  doing  God 
service  to  crush  every  new,  and,  what  appeared  to  him  hereti- 
cal sentiment.  He  was  one  therefore,  in  whom  meek-eyed  Chris- 
tianity, as  she  advanced  with  her  claims  to  the  homage  of  men, 
might  expect  to  find  a  most  malignant  foe.  As  a  signal  of  this, 
we  first  behold  him  at  the  bitter  persecution  of  the  martyr  Ste- 
phen, consenting  unto  his  death. 

With  a  furious  zeal,  he  soon  raged,  searching  out  the  Chris- 
tians ;  beating  them  in  the  synagogues,  and  either  compelling 
them  to  disown  Christ,  or  causing  them  to  be  put  to  death.  Hav- 
ing done  all  that  infuriate  malice  could  do  in  Jerusalem,  he  ob- 
tained a  warrant  from  the  High  priest  to  go  to  Damascus, 
whither  some  Christians  had  retired,  and  bring  all  whom  he 
found  there  to  Jerusalem.  How  terrible  is  the  native  enmity 
of  the  human  heart  to  the  gospel  of  Christ  !  How  insatiable  is 
an  unhallowed  and  misguided  zeal  !  Had  the  violent  persecu- 
tor been  suffered  to  proceed,  what  awful  ravages  would  he  have 
made  of  Christ's  little  flock  !  But  the  wolf  was  to  be  changed 
into  the  lamb.  God  had  separated  him,  not  to  die  by  a  thun- 
derbolt of  his  wrath,  but  to  preach  that  very  gospel  which  he  had 
persecuted.  And  this  was  the  moment  which  divine  wisdom 
chose  for  the  exhibition  of  grace.  As  he  was  on  his  way,  sud- 
denly abeam  of  light,  far  outshining  the  splendour  of  the  sun, 
darted  upon  him  from  heaven,  and  a  voice  addressed  him,  Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?     The  raging  persecutor  fell  to 

13 


134  CONVERSION    OF    SAUL.  PeRIOD    III 

the  eaitli,  crying,  Who  art  thou  Lord  ?  With  a  majesty  which 
will  make  all  sinners  tremble  in  the  judgment,  the  Lord  said,  "  I 
am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest.  It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick 
against  the  pricks."  At  a  sight  of  the  terribleness  and  com- 
passion of  the  Saviour,  his  heart  relented,  and  he  enquired  with 
earnestness,  and  a  readiness  to  serve  him  forever.  Lord  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ? 

Thus,  not  through  the  po\ver  of  a  miracle,  for  the  bare  wit- 
ness of  a  miracle  will  never  change  the  heart,  but  through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  miraculous  appearance  and  ad- 
dress of  the  Saviour  became  instrumental  of  effecting  a  com- 
plete change  in  bitter  Saul.  And  a  change,  how  great !  In  his 
self-righteousness  he  had  thought  himself  one  of  the  best  of  men, 
but  now,  he  saw  that  he  was  the  chief  of  sinners.  The  law  of 
God  was  brought  home  to  his  conscience  and  he  died.  All  hope 
of  salvation  from  his  own  merit,  was  entirely  at  an  end  ;  and  he 
fled  to  Christ,  seeking  pardon  through  his  blood,  and  con- 
secrating himself  wholly  to  his  service. 

By  his  terrified  companions,  he  was  led  into  Damascus,  for  he 
was  struck  with  blindness.  In  that  city  dwelt  Ananias,  a  de- 
vout Christian,  and  probably  one  of  the  seventy,  whom  the  Lord 
directed,  that  the  ministry  might  be  honored,  to  go  and  instruct 
Saul  in  the  great  business  to  which  he  was  called.  Amazement 
filled  his  breast  as  the  commission  sounded  in  his  ears.  He 
well  knew  the  character  of  the  man.  He  dreaded  the  wolf  in 
sheep's  clothing.  Could  the  Lord  be  'eceived  ?  Momentary 
expostulation,  he  would  venture.  "  Lord  I  have  heard  by  many 
of  this  man,  how  much  evil  he  hath  done  to  thy  saints  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  here  he  hath  authority  from  the  chief  priests  to  bind 
all  that  call  upon  thy  name."  But  one  word  from  the  Savionr 
silenced  his  fears,  and  commanded  his  confidence,  and  he  went 
straightway  to  the  anxious  enquirer,  with  the  friendly  salutation, 
Brother  Saul !  assuring  him  that  the  Lord  had  sent  him,  that, 
by  him,  he  might  receive  his  sight  and  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  At  the  touch  of  Ananias,  scales  fell  from  his  eyes  ;  his 
mind  was  calm  and  joyful  ;  he  professed  his  confidence  in  his 
Saviour  ;  was  baptized,  and  immediately  preached  Christ  in  the 
synagogues. 

What  emotions  must  have  been  excited  by  this  man's  preach- 
ing !  Here  were  the  saints,  who,  but  a  week  before,  were 
trembling  at  his  approach,  as  lambs  before  the  hungry  wolf. 
There  were  the  Jews,  who  had  anticipated  the  hour  of  his  ap- 
proach, as  the  hour  of  triumph  over  men,  whom  of  all  others, 
they  most  hated.     What  an  assembly  !  Were  a  company  of  In- 


Chap.  -2.  nis  first  preaching.  135 

fidels  collected  to  hear  Christianity  reviled,  by  some  Hume,  or 
Voltaire,  or  Paine,  and  a  number  of  the  followers  of  Christ 
doomed  to  sit  and  hear  their  ribaldry  and  abuse,  when,  suddenly, 
the  oracle  of  infidelity  should  become  the  advocate  of  truth,  and 
address  himself  with  awful  solemnity  to  the  hearts  and  conscien- 
ces of  his  former  companions,  and  warn  them  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  what  shame  !  what  confusion  !  what  gnashing 
of  teeth  would  there  be  among  them  !  And  what  holy  triumph 
would  sit  on  the  countenances  of  the  wondering  saints!  It 
would  give  but  a  faint  idea  of  this  assembly.  Here  was  slaugh- 
ter and  death  expected  by  some,  and  a  gratification  of  the  most 
malignant  passions  by  others  ; — all  suddenly  checked  and  turn- 
ed away.  The  result  was  such  as  might  be  expected.  The  tri- 
umph of  the  saints  could  not  be  borne.  Such  a  man  could  not 
be  suffered  to  live.  Enraged  at  Saul,  for  so  suddenly  quitting 
their  ranks  and  becoming  the  advocate  of  Christianity  ;  con- 
founded by  the  weight  of  his  arguments,  and  dreading  the  effects 
of  his  conversion  ;  the  Jews  determined  to  kill  him,  and  closed 
against  him  the  gates  of  the  city.  But  his  friends  let  him  down 
in  a  basket  from  the  window  of  a  house  built  on  the  wall,  and 
he  escaped  into  Arabia.  How  long  he  continued  in  that  region 
is  unknown,  but  from  thence  he  returned  to  Damascus  ;  and  it 
was  three  years  before  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  visit  the  dis- 
ciples. When  he  did  go  there,  they  were  afraid  of  him,  and  be- 
lieved not  that  he  was  a  disciple — an  evidence  either  of  very  lit- 
tle intercourse  among  the  early  Christians,  or  of  great  seclusiojpi 
on  the  part  of  Saul.  But  Barnabas,  related  unto  them  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  conversion,  and  how  he  had  preached  boldly 
at  Damascus,  so  that  they  gave  him  the  hand  of  fellowship.  At 
Jerusalem  he  became  an  active  and  bold  minister  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Here,  while  praying  in  the  Temple,  he  went  into  a 
trance,  was  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven  and  heard  things 
which  might  not  be  uttered.  Here  again  the  Jews  attempted 
to  kdl  him.  But  he  was  preserved  through  the  vigilance  of  his 
friends  who  sent  him  to  Tarsus. 

The  conversion  of  Saul  took  place,  in  the  second  year  after 
the  death  of  Christ.  It  was  a  very  instructive  event.  It  shew- 
ed to  the  world  that  a  man  may  be  greatly  engaged  in  the  con- 
cerns of  religion  ;  be  the  strictest  formalist  ;  think  that  he  does 
God  service,  and  have  an  undoubting  assurance  of  his  own  sal- 
vation, and  be  a  total  stranger  to  vital  piety.  It  was  an  illus- 
trious exhibition  of  the  sovereignty  of  God,  who  has  mercy  on 
whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and  who  employs,  if  he  pleases,  those 
who  have  been  his  greatest  adversaries,  in  the  most  honorable 


136  GOSPEL    PREACHED    TO    THE    GENTILES.       PeRIOD    IIL 

post  in  his  kingdom.  And  it  was  an  incontestible  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  Christianity.*  Let  the  unawakened  sinner  and  the 
formal  Pharisee,  contemplate  the  state  of  Saul  before  liis  con  - 
version  and  remember  it  is  their  own. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Gospel  preached  to  the  Gentiles.  Cornelius  and  his  f  ami- 
ily  baptized.  Martyrdom  of  James.  Revival  at  Antioch. 
Saul  and  Barnabas  ordained  Missionaries  to  the  Heathen. 
Ministry  of  Paid.  Constitution  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Its  early  moral  and  religious  state.  Character  of  the  Apos- 
tles^ preaching.  Writers  of  the  Neio-  Testament.  Firm  es- 
tablishment of  the  hingdom  of  Christ .  Opposition  oftheJeivs. 
God's  judgment  upon  them.  Destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Dis- 
persion of  the  Jeios.  Opposition  of  the  Roman  Emperors 
Nero  and  Domitian.  3Iartyrdom  of  Paul  and  Peter 
Early  heresies. 

The  conversion  and  early  labours  of  Saul,  formed  another  era 
in  the  Christian  Church.  The  enemies  of  Christianity,  forsa- 
ken by  their  leader,  and  convinced  or  silenced  by  his  powerful 
preaching,  retired  from  the  field  of  persecution  ;  great  num- 
bers were  added  to  the  Lord  ;  the  Churches  every  where  had 
rest,  and  were  edified  ;  "  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and 
the  comforts  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

For  a  period  of  about  six  years  after  the  ascension  of  Christ, 
the  Apostles  continued  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Jews  only, 
wherever  they  could  find  them  throughout  the  Roman  empire. 
But,  in  general,  they  rejected  it,  and  bitterly  opposed  and  per- 
secuted all  who  proclaimed  it.  The  Lord,  therefore,  directed 
the  Apostles  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  Gentiles  were  abhorred  by  the  Jews.  They  viewed 
them  as  hated  of  God  and  devoted  to  destruction.  The  Apos- 
tles were  possessed  of  this  common  prejudice.  They  would 
never,  therefore,  of  themselves,  have  offered  so  great  a  blessing 
as  salvation  to  the  Iieathen ;  and  if  some,  from  any  motive 
should  have  done  it,  they  would  at  once  have  been  guilty  of  sac- 
rilege.    But  the  great  Shepherd,  who  had  other  sheep  besides 


See  Lyttleton's  conversion  of  Paul, 


/ 


Chap.  3.  Cornelius  the  centurion.  137 

the  Jews  to  gather  in,  knew  how  to  prepare  the  minds  of  his 
ministers  for  so  rich  a  work. 

In  Cesarea,  the  residence  of  the  Roman  Governor,  lived 
Cornelius,  a  centurion,  a  devout  man  who  had  heen  reclaim- 
ed from  idolatry,  and  who,  according  to  the  light  which  had 
been  afforded  him,  worshipped  God  ;  was  just ;  exemplary  and 
eminently  charitable.  I  his  man  was  warned  of  God,  to  send 
for  Peter  and  hear  from  him  the  words  of  eternal  life.  At  the 
same  time,  Peter  was  instructed,  by  a  vision  from  heaven,  not 
to  call  any  man  common  or  unclean.  When,  therefore,  the 
messengers  of  Cornelius  came  to  him  at  Joppa,  he  went  with 
them  without  delay,  and  declared  to  the  centurion  and  his 
household,  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  While 
he  was  preaching,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  his  hearers,  and 
they  were  converted  to  the  Lord,  and,  by  the  ordinance  of  bap- 
tism, admitted  to  the  Christian  Church.  Such  were  the  first 
fruits  of  the  Spirit  among  the  Gentiles.  Thus  was  the  wall  of 
partition,  which  had  stood  for  ages,  between  Jews  and  Heath- 
en, broke  down.  How  valuable  was  the  Gospel  to  one  of  the 
best  men  the  heathen  world  could  boast  !  Before  he  heard  it, 
he  was  highly  esteemed  among  men,  but  he  had  no  peace  in  his 
own  breast.  He  had  been  daily  an  anxious  inquirer  at  the 
throne  of  grace  for  peace  and  life.  He  now  found  them  in  the 
doctrine  of  forgiveness  through  the  blood  of  Christ.  The  best 
men  in  heathen  lands  deserve  our  compassion,  for  they  know 
nothing  of  pardoning  mercy  or  the  consolations  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Let  the  pride  of  narrow  minded,  selfish  men,  who  have 
long  considered  themselves  the  sole  favourites  of  heaven  be  re- 
buked. Among  those  whom  such  hate  and  view  as  outcasts, 
may  be  some  of  the  brightest  jewels  in  the  Redeemer's  crown. 

The  Christian  temper  was  happily  exhibited  by  the  brethren 
at  Jerusalem,  when  they  heard  of  this  unexpected  enlargement 
of  the  Church.  They  viewed  it  at  first  indeed  as  irregular,  and 
were  disposed  to  censure  Peter  ;  but  no  sooner  had  he  declared 
his  divine  commission  and  related  to  them  the  operation  of  the 
Spirit,  than  they  glorified  God  for  his  mercy.  Some  measures 
may  often  be  accounted  inconsistent  with  long  established  prin- 
ciples and  customs,  and  men  may  be  brought  into  the  kingdom 
of  Christ,  who,  for  various  reasons,  we  might  have  supposed 
would  never  have  a  place  there  ;  but  when  satisfactory  evi- 
dence is  given  that  such,  even  through  these  means,  are  truly 
converted  to  the  Lord,  all  prejudices  are  by  the  correct  mind, 
sacrificed  ;  the  hand  of  fellowship  is  extended,  and  God  is  glori- 
fied. 12* 


138  MARTYRDOM    OF    JAMES'.  PeRIOD   III. 

Herod  sat  at  this  time,  on  the  throne  of  Judea.  He  was  a 
vile  prince  ;  and  was  surrounded  by  no  less  vile  Sadducees  and 
Herodians,  whom  he  found  it  for  his  interest  continually  to 
gratify.  They  hated  the  Christians  and  he  therefore  commen- 
ced against  them  a  violent  persecution.  He  first  seized  James, 
the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  condemned  him  to  death.  Eusebius 
relates  that  his  accuser,  beholding  his  faith,  was  struck  with  re- 
morse and,  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  was  suddenly  brought  to 
repentance  and  confessed  Christ,  and  that  both  were  carried  to 
execution  and  beheaded  together.  The  tyrant  next  seized  Pe- 
ter, and  confined  him  in  chains.  But  God  had  further  need  of 
him  in  the  Church  below ;  and  while  the  brethren  were  enga- 
ged in  prayer  for  him,  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  delivered  him 
iVom  his  chains,  set  open  the  prison  doors  and  restored  him  to 
the  disciples.  The  miserable  monarch  was  soon  after  brought 
for  his  pride  and  cruelty,  to  a  most  horrid  death.  His  intended 
victim  lived  to  old  age,  and  preached  the  Gospel  throughout 
Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia  and  Bithynia. 

For  five  years,  Saul  of  Tarsus  remained  in  his  native  city 
and  province,  preaching  the  Gospel  ; — with  what  success  is  not 
known.  But  he  was  not  forgotten  by  the  brethren.  Some  of 
the  disciples  had  fled  from  Jerusalem  in  the  persecution,  to  An- 
tioch,  the  metropolis  of  Syria,  where  they  preached  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Their  labours  were  crowned  with  great  success.  Ti- 
dings of  this  were  received  with  joy,  by  the  church  at  Jerusa- 
lem, and  they  sent  Barnabas,  ''  a  good  man,  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  of  faith,"  to  assist  them.  No  sooner  had  he  reach- 
ed the  city,  than  he  saw  the  need  of  more  labourers,  and  he 
went  to  Tarsus  for  this  powerful  advocate  of  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  brought  him  to  Antioch  ;  where  they  laboured  together  with 
much  success  for  a  whole  year.  The  Church  was  enlarged  and 
prosperous,  and  as  many  of  its  members  were  wealthy  and  ac- 
tuated by  holy  love,  they  made  liberal  contributions  for  the  poor 
saints  at  Jerusalem — distressed  by  a  famine.  •  Here,  as  an  epi- 
thet of  opprobium,  the  followers  of  Jesus  were  first  called 
C'hristians  ; — an  epithet  which  is,  in  truth,  the  most  honoura- 
!)le  and  blessed  a  man  can  sustain. 

To  remain  there,  where  many  teachers  of  reputation  had  as- 
sembled, and  where  seasons  of  refreshment  were  afforded,  would 
have  been  pleasant.  But  the  head  of  the  Church  had  a  great 
work  for  these  disciples  to  perform  ;  and  the  prophets  and  teach- 
ers at  Antioch  were  directed  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  set  apart  Saul 
and  Barnabas  to  the  great  work  of  evangelizing  the  heathen. 
Accordingly,  they  were  ordained    as   missionaries  of  the  cross 


Chap.  3.  first  missionaries  ordained.  130 

and  ministers  of  salvation  to  the  Gentiles  by  fasting  and  prayer 
and  imposition  of  hands,  and  sent  tbrth  to  their  field,  which  was 
the  world. 

Here  properly  commences  the  mighty  Apostolic  work  of  him 
who  was  the  most  distinguished  instrument  ever  employed  of 
bringing  this  fallen  world  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ.* 

His  course  may  be  divided  into  three  parts.  The  first  reaching 
from  the  ordination  to  the  council  at  Jerusalem,  The  second, 
from  this  council  to  the  close  of  his  labours  in  Greece.  The 
third,  from  his  last  visit  at  Jerusalem  to  his  death. 

In  the  first,  Paul  and  Barnabas  went  to  Cyprus  where  Sergius 
Paulus,  the  Roman  governor  was  converted,  and  Bar-jesus,  for 
his  opposition,  was  struck  blind  ;  then  to  Pergo  in  Pamphylia  ; 
then  to  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  where  Paul  preached  a  long  and 
powerful  sermon  by  which  multitudes  were  converted  to  the 
Lord,  but  which  so  exasperated  the  Jews  that  they  expelled  him 
out  of  their  coasts.  Driven  thence,  they  went  to  Iconium  ;  but, 
being  in  danger  of  stoning,  they  retired  to  Lystra  and  Derbe. 
There  they  healed  a  man  who  had  been  lame  from  his  birth  and 
were  taken  by  the  people  for  gods  in  the  likeness  of  men.  But 
no  sooner  had  they  quieted  the  adoring  populace,  than  that 
same  populace  stirred  up  by  the  envious,  base  Jews,  turned  a- 
gainst  them  and  stoned  them-,  so  that  Paul  was  supposed  to  be 
dead.  But  God  had  designed  him  for  great  purposes  ;  and  he 
rose  up,  by  divine  power,  and  returned  to  Antioch.  Such  was 
the  first  mission  of  the  Apostle.  In  it  he  made  many  converts  ; 
organized  many  churches  and  ordained  ministers,  to  break  to 
them  the  bread  of  life. 

But  these  churches,  especially  the  church  at  Antioch,  were 
infested  with  men  who  would  compel  the  Gentile  converts  to 
observe  circumcision  and  the  ceremonial  law.  It  was  a  bold 
and  wicked  attempt,  which  however  has  been  often  repeated 
from  that  day  to  this,  to  substitute  external  righteousness  for 
faith  in  Christ  as  the  ground  of  justification.  Discerning  saints 
saw  that  tiie  evil  must  be  withstood,  and  Paul  and  Bainabas 
were  deputized  to  go  to  Jerusalem  to  ask  advice  of  the  Apos- 
tles and  Elders.  A  council  was  called,  the  first  known  in 
the  Christian  Church,  in  which  it  was  determined.  That  such 
observances  should  not  be  required,  only  that  Gentile  converts 


*  He  who  had  been  called  Saul  is  now  in  the  Scriptures  called 
Paul  ;  some  think  from  Paulus  Scrjiiis,  who  was  converted  under  his 
preaching;  but  it  is  most  probable  Paid  was  his  Roman  and  Saul  im 
G'recian  name. 


140  COUNCIL    AT    JERUSALEM,  pERIOD    IIL 

should  abstain  from  blood,  from  idols,  from  fornication,  and  from 
things  strangled  !  With  this  decision,  they  returned  to  Anti- 
och  and  the  Churches  had  rest. 

The  second  period  of  Paul's  ministry  was  upon  a  new  and 
unexpected  theatre.  A  vision  appeared  to  him  in  the  night,  in- 
viting him  over  into  Macedonia  to  preach  the  Gospel.  With 
Silas  and  Timothy  for  his  companions  he  passed  without  delay 
into  Greece,  renowned  for  science  and  learning  and  subject  to 
a  most  splendid  and  fascinating  idolatry.  There  he  preached, 
with  such  irresistible  energy,  that  soon,  important  churches 
were  collected  at  Philippi,  Thessalonica,  Berea  and  Corinth. 
It  is  delightful  to  contemplate  this  great  Apostle,  crossing  the 
Hellespont  bearing  a  treasure  to  that  land  of  science  and  arts, 
infinitely  more  valuable  than  all  that  human  reas(m  had  ever 
discovered ;  and  pressing  forward  through  mockings,  imprison- 
ment and  stonings  until  his  feet  stood  on  Mars-hill,  where,  amid 
temples,  altars  and  statues  he  declared  to  the  Athenians,  the 
most  philosophical  and  refined  people,  and  to  the  Areopagus, 
the  most  able  court  on  earth,  the  Unknown  God. 

In  the  polished  city,  he  had  but  little  success.  Dionysius,  a 
member  of  the  Areopagus  and  a  woman  named  Damaris,  believ- 
ed. But  the  mass  of  the  Athenians  were  ruined  by  luxury  and 
a  deceitful  philosophy.  From  Greece  he  went  to  Jerusalem, 
and  having  saluted  the  Church,  he  went  over  all  the  country  of 
Galatia  and  Phrygia,  strengthening  the  disciples.  At  Ephesus, 
where  was  the  great  Temple  of  the  goddess  Diana,  the  most 
splendid  heathen  Temple  existing,  he  abode  two  years,  work- 
ing miracles  and  preaching  the  Gospel  with  great  power.  Hav- 
ing finished  his  work  there,  he  visited  all  the  Churches  in 
Greece,  and  then  set  his  face,  for  the  last  time,  to  go  up  to  Je- 
rusalem. In  this  period  of  his  Apostleship  he  performed  his 
greatest  labour  and  gave  the  most  glorious  extension  to  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ. 

In  the  last  period,  he  was  chiefly  a  prisoner.  He  was  brought 
before  governors  and  kings;  but  he  feared  not  their  faces.  He 
boldly  vindicated  his  conduct  and  cause,  and  put  his  enemies 
to  silence.  As  he  reasoned  of  righteousness,  temperance  and 
judgment  to  come,  Felix  trembled.  As  he  related  the  wondrous 
story  of  his  conversion.  King  Agrippa  was  almost  persuaded  to 
be  a  Christian.  Appealing  to  Csesar,  he  was  carried  to  Rome: 
but  his  Lord  did  not  desert  him.  He  preserved  him  amid  dan- 
n;ers,  and  so  overruled  events  at  Rome  that  he  had  no  trial ;  but 
lived  two  years  in  his  own  hired  house,  teaching  with  much 
success  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God.     A  large 


/ 


ClIAP.    'S.  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE   CHURCH.  141 

church  was  there  instructed  and  nourished  by  him.  Some  of 
the  imperial  household,  a  concubine  and  cupbearer  of  Nero  be- 
longed to  it.  He  even  stood  before  Nero  himself  and  testified 
the  Gospel  with  the  same  boldness  as  he  had  done  before  Felix 
and  Agrippa.  It  is  probable  that  he  once  more  had  his  liberty 
and  visited  the  eastern  churches.  If  he  did,  he  again  returned 
to  Rome,  for  there  it  is  reported  he  suffered  martyrdom  in  th(i 
year  65 — ^just  30  years  after  his  conv  ;rsion. 

Such  were  the  labours  of  Paul — a  man  of  a  noble  and  capa- 
cious mind — of  extensive  learning — profound  reasoning — con- 
summate fortitude,  and  wonderful  patience  and  benevolence. 
He  viewed  himself  as  the  least  of  all  saints,  and  was  entirely 
devoted  to  his  Lord  and  Master. 

Through  his  exertions  and  those  of  the  other  Apostles  and 
disciples,  the  civilized  world  was,  in  thirty  years  after  the  ascen- 
sion of  Christ,  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel.  We 
have  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  number  of  churches  which 
they  planted  ;  but  it  was  great.  Their  master  had  given  them 
the  power  of  speaking  all  the  languages  of  the  earth ;  of  working 
miracles  ;  of  foretelling  future  events  ;  an  unheard  of  zeal  and 
heroism  in  his  service  ;  an  elevation  above  the  frowns  and  flat- 
teries of  the  world  and  death  itself;  and  a  wisdom  which  all 
their  adversaries  were  not  able  to  resist.  The  Apostles  and 
teachers,  were  few  in  number  ;  all  felt  themselves  engaged  in 
the  most  important  of  all  causes.  To  these  is  to  be  attributed, 
under  God,  the  vast  extension  of  the  Gospel  at  so  early  a  period ; 
an  extension,  which,  when  we  consider  the  state  of  the  world 
and  the  instruments  employed,  furnishes  the  highest  evidence 
of  its  divine  origin. 

Constitution  of  the  Christian  Church. 

A  Church  consisted  of  an  assembly  of  Christians  in  one 
place  who  had  professed  Christ ;  been  baptized  in  the  name  )f 
the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ;  and  who  united  in  worship, 
and  in  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  supper.  It  was  called  the 
body  of  Christ,  and  those  that  composed  it,  members  in  partic- 
ular. 

To  each  Church  was  attached  a  Pastor  and  Deacons. 

When  Christ  ascended  up  on  high  he  instituted  various 
teachers  in  the  church,  called  apostles,  prophets,  evangelists, 
pastors  and  teachers  for  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

The  apostolic  office  was  personal  and  temporary.  To  it  be- 
longed extraordinary  privileges  and  miraculous  powers  ;  and  it 


142  orncERS  of  the  ciiuuch.  Period  111. 

was  eminently  useful  in  propagating  Christianity  and  founding 
Churches.  It  ceased  with  the  men  whom  Christ  himself  ap- 
pointed to  it. 

The  prophets  were  designated  to  explain  the  Old  Testament 
prophecies,  and  foretel  things  which  should  come  to  pass, 
through  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Their  office  also  was 
confined  to  the  first  days  of  Christianity. 

The  Evangelists  were  appointed  to  labour  wherever  they 
could  be  useful  in  Christian  and  Heathen  countries,  without 
being  attached  to  any  particular  charge.  They  were  like  Mis- 
sionaries and  Evangelists  at  the  present  period. 

Pastors  and  teachers  were  synonymous  ;  though  some  have 
supposed  that  the  appropriate  business  of  the  teacher  was,  to 
defend  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  ;  while  the  pastor  took  a 
general  care  of  the  flock,  and  attended  to  the  minor  pastoral 
duties.  These  were  attached  to  a  particular  Church,  and 
ministered  to  it  as  bishops  or  overseers,  being  set  apart  by 
prayer  and  fasting,  and  imposition  of  hands,  and  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship  originally  by  the  apostles,  and  successively  by 
such  as  had,  by  them  been  introduced  into  the  ministry. 

Christ  placed  all  his  ministering  servants,  upon  an  equality  of 
rank.  He  told  them  that  they  were  brethren,  and  forbade  their 
receiving  any  title  of  distinction  which  should  give  one  a  pre- 
eminence over  another, — condemning  the  various  grades  of 
Christian  ministers  which  have  since  been  established,  and  the 
various  titles  which  have  since  been  conferred,  elevating  a  few 
above  their  brethren  around  them. 

In  the  primitive  Churches,  reigned  great  simplicity  of  form, 
and  worship.  Equality  reigned  among  the  members.  They 
chose  their  own  pastors.  They  spent  much  time  in  prayer  and 
pYaise.  Letters  from  the  Apostles  and  other  Churches  were 
publicly  read,  and  the  word  of  God  was  publicly  expounded. 
Their  assemblies  were  generally  held  in  private  houses,  as  they 
had  no  public  edifices. 

The  Jev/ish  Christians  continued  for  a  time  strictly  to  re- 
gard the  synagogue  worship,  but  they  and  all  Gentile  converts 
convened  too  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  day  on  which 
Christ  rose,  the  day  Mdiich,  doubtless  through  the  Lord's  ap- 
pointment, now  became  the  Christian  Sabbath,  and  which  was 
called  the  Lord's  day.  The  Lord's  supper  was  administered 
at  the  close  of  worship ;  and,  as  many  of  the  disciples  were 
poor,  opulent  brethren  brought  food  of  which  all  partook, 
in  what  were  called  agapae  or  feasts  of  love. 

They  received  in  great  simplicity  and  purity,  as  the  founda- 


Chap.  3.  its  moral  and  religious  state.  143 

tion  on  which  they  built,  the  doctrines  which  had  been  taught 
by  Christ  and  the  Apostles.  They  banished  forever  all  idola- 
try, and  worshipped  the  one  living  and  true  God  ;  the  Father, 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  viewed  man  as  totally  depraved, 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  under  the  curse  of  the  law ;  re- 
ceived in  love,  the  great  doctrines  of  atonement  by  the  blood  of 
Christ ;  of  election  ;  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  justifi- 
cation by  faith  ;  adoption  ;  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  to 
eternal  happiness  or  eternal  misery,  according  to  moral  charac- 
ter. 

They  practised  a  purer  morality  than  the  Gentile  world  had 
ever  known.  Their  former  companions  looked  on  them  with 
amazement,  because  they  did  not  run  with  them  to  the  same 
excess  of  riot.  But  they  had  come  to  the  knowledge  of  God 
and  his  law  ;  of  the  way  of  duty  and  safety ;  their  hearts  had 
been  filled  with  holy  love ;  and  they  now  lived  like  rational, 
immortal  beings,  whose  great  business  was  to  honour  God  and 
do  good  to  their  fellow  men. 

Such  was  the  moral  state  and  character  of  the  primitive 
Churches.  But  they  kept  not  their  glory.  The  gold  soon  be- 
came dim.  Some  deceivers  were  among  them,  who  corrupted 
the  mass.  False  teachers  early  introduced  errors  in  doctrine. 
Believers  grew  cold  and  luke-warm  ;  and,  through  the  power  of 
indwelling  corruption  and  the  temptations  of  the  world,  fell  in- 
to very  reprehensible  sins.  A  vain  and  deceitful  philosophy 
came  near  destroying  the  Church  at  Corinth.  That  Church 
also  was  thrown  into  dissensions  about  their  leading  ministers. 
One  was  for  Paul  and  another  for  Apollos.  They  abused  the 
Lord's  supper;  and  even  an  incestuous  person  was  among 
them.  The  Galatians  were  drawn  almost  away  from  Christ  to 
a  dependence  for  justification  on  a  strict  observance  of  the  cere- 
monial law.  Among  the  Philippians  were  those  who  walked 
as  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  whose  god  was  their  belly. 
Peter  and  Jude  describe  to  us  some  horrible  enormities  of  nom- 
inal Christians,  who  looked  for  justification  by  faith  without 
works.  Among  the  seven  promising  and  excellent  churches  of 
Asia,  there  was  scarce  one  that  retained,  at  the  end  of  forty 
years,  her  original  purity  of  doctrine  or  practice. 

And,  yet  it  was  the  golden  age  of  the  Church.  Who  would 
not  have  lived  in  that  period  and  heard  the  Apostles  preach  and 
witnessed  their  miraculous  operations,  and  beheld  the  astonish- 
ing outpourings  of  the  spirit  and  seen  the  heathen  casting  their 
gods  to  the  moles  and  the  bats,  and  mingled  in  joyful  Avorship 
with  those  who  had  seen  our  Lord? 


144  BIOGRAPHERS  OF  OUR  LORD.  PeRIOdIU 

The  Apostles  were  fishermen,  unlearned  men,  and  for  this 
reason  have  been  despised  by  the  world  ;  but  no  class  of  men  so 
command  our  admiration  and  love.  He  who  made  them  en- 
larged their  native  powers  ;  gave  them  astonishing  wisdom  and 
fortitude  ;  and  shed  abroad  in  their  hearts  a  spirit  of  love  and 
compassion  for  their  fellow-men,  second  only  to  that  of  him  who 
died  for  us.  They  published  to  man  the  pure  Gospel.  Christ 
had  directly  or  indirectly  declared  all  the  great  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel  What  he  taught,  would  have  been  lost  to  the  world 
had  they  not  committed  it  to  writing,  for  future  generations. 
This  they  did  through  inspiration  of  the  Spirit.  What  Christ 
taught  needed  to  be  taught  again  and  more  fully  and  explicitly ; 
for  he  spake  in  a  region  of  darkness,  and  the  darkness  com- 
prehended him  not.  Even  his  own  disciples  had  but  a  very 
imperfect  understanding  of  what  is  now  plain  to  us.  It  was  in 
vain  for  him  therefore  to  labour  much  with  them,  until  after  he 
had  finished  his  work.  "  I  have  many  things,"  said  he  "  to 
say  to  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now,  nevertheless  when  the 
Spirit  of  all  truth  is  come,  he  will  reveal  them  to  you."  Chris 
promise  was  fulfilled.  They  were  taught  more  perfectly  the 
great  scheme  of  redemption  ;  all  the  doctrines  and  precepts 
of  Christianity;  the  officers,  ordinances  and  affairs  of  the 
Church  through  every  age  of  the  Christian  dispensation  and  its 
final  glorification  in  heaven.  Whatever  they  spoke  or  wrote 
they  spoke  or  wrote  as  taught  of  God,  and  is  to  be  received  as 
precisely  of  the  same  authority  as  the  words  of  Christ  himself. 
Of  the  places  where  nine  of  them  labored  and  died,  scarce  any 
thing  is  recorded.  Probably  they  labored  and  died  near  Je- 
rusalem. 

The  biographers  of  our  Lord  were  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke 
and  John. 

Matthew  was  a  publican  or  tax-gatherer,  living  at  Caperna- 
um. He  wrote  his  Gospel  soon  after  the  ascension,  A.  D.  37 
or  38,  first,      it  is  supposed  in  Hebrew  and  then  in  Greek. 

Mark  was  the  son  of  a  pious  woman  in  Jerusalem.  He  was 
not  one  of  the  twelve  apostles,  but  was  a  companion  of  Paul, 
Peter  and  Barnabas  in  their  travels.  He  wrote  his  Gospel  in 
Greek  about  the  year  63,  at  Rome,  at  the  request  of  the  Church 
there. 

Luke  was  not  an  Apostle  ;  but  a  physician  of  Antioch,  who 
early  attached  himself  to  the  Apostles  and  was  a  close  compan- 
ion of  Paul  in  his  travels.  He  was  a  man  of  learning  and  wrote 
very  pure  Greek.  When  he  wrote  his  history  of  Christ  is  un- 
certain. 


Chap.  'i.  writers  of  the  new  testament.  145 

John  was  the  youngest  of  the  twelve,  was  the  beloved  disci- 
ple, and  one  of  the  best  men  that  ever  lived.  He  was  a  wit- 
ness of  the  transfiguration  ;  sat  next  to  Jesus,  on  his  couch,  at 
the  passover,  and  saw  his  agony  in  the  garden.  To  him  Christ 
committed  his  mother  from  the  cross.  He  was  at  the  council 
in  Jerusalem  about  the  year  50.  Soon  after  that,  he  took 
the  pastoral  care  of  the  Church  at  Ephesus,  where  he  probably 
remained  many  years.  He  outlived  all  the  Apostles.*  He 
w  rote  his  Gospel  at  Ephesus  about  A.  D.  97  or  98,  evidently  to 
declare  our  Sanour's  divinity,  which  many  were  disposed  to 
deny.  He  inserted  in  it  but  a  few  things  recorded  by  the  oth- 
er Evangelists;  probably  considering  it  unnecessary.  He  wrote 
what  they  had  omitted  ;  particularly,  that  last  conversation 
which  Christ  had  with  his  disciples  at  the  institution  of  the  sup- 
per and  his  intercessory  prayer^ 

The  question  has  been  asked  why  more  and  fuller  accounts 
of  Christ  were  not  given  ?  More  and  fuller  might  have  been. 
John  says,  if  all  were  written  which  Jesus  did,  the  world  would 
not  contain  the  Books.  More  actually  were  written,  as  Luke 
informs  Theophilus.  But  these  alone  have  been  transmitted 
to  us  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  doubtless  because  in  the  divine  mind, 
they  were  sufficient.      He  that  rejects  these  books,  would  re- 


*  A  few  fragments  have  been  collected  of  this  beloved  disciple, 
though  their  authenticity  is  doubted.  Such  it  is  said  was  his  regard 
for  the  truth,  that  once,  while  in  the  pubHc  bath  at  Ephesus,  he  per- 
ceived there  Cerinthus,  an  open  heretic,  and  t;ame  out  hastily,  ex- 
claiming, "  Let  us  flee,  lest  the  bath  should  fall  while  Cerinthus,  an 
enemy  of  the  truth,  is  in  it.'»  It  was  like  him  who  charged  a  Christian 
lady  not  to  receive  him  into  her  house,  nor  bid  him  God  speed  who 
preached  another  Gospel. 

Hearing,  in  his  old  age,  of  a  lovely  youth  who  had  apostatized  from 
the  Christian  faith,  and  become  the  head  of  a  band  of  robbers,  he  went 
to  the  mountains  and  demanded  of  the  robbers  the  sight  of  their  cap- 
tain. Beholding  tjie  venerable  Apostle,  the  youth  fled.  John  follow- 
ed and  cried,  My  son,  why  fliest  thou  from  thy  Father,  unarmed  and 
old.  Christ  hath  sent  me.  The  youth  stopped,  trembled  and  wept 
bitterly.  John  prayed,  exhorted  and  brought  him  back  a  penitent  to 
the  company  of  the  Christians. 

When  very  old,  he  constantly  repeated  in  his  exbortations,  "  Chil- 
dren, love  one  another.'* 

In  his  old  age,  he  wrote  his  three  Epistles.  By  Domitian  he  was, 
says  Tertullian,  cast  into  a  cauldron  of  boiling  oil,  from  which  he  came 
out  unhurt,  and  then  was  banished  to  the  isle  of  Patmos,  where  he 
wrote  his  Revelations.  He  again  returned  to  Asia,  where  he  hved 
three  or  four  years  a  pattern  of  charity  and  goodness.  He  died  in  the 
b^innicg  of  the  second  century,  being  about  an  hundred  years  of  age. 

13 


146 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  CAxNON. 


Period  III. 


ject  more.  '  The  discovery  of  a  fifth  gospel,  would  have  no 
more  effect  than  would  the  discovery  of  one  of  the  four,  had  the 
vvorld*been  possessed  of  but  three.  No  man  was  ever,  it  is  pre- 
sumed, converted  by  the  consideration  that  there  were  four  his- 
tories of  Christ  rather  than  three.  No  man  would  be  converted 
by  five,  who  is  unconvinced  by  the  four. 

The  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the  great  history  of  the  early 
spread  of  the  Gospel,  was  written  by  Luke,  A.  D.  63,  but  it  is 
evidently  far  from  being  a  full  account.  The  Apostles  felt  a 
deep  solicitude  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Churches  which 
they  had  planted.  They  had  taught  them  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  Christianity.  But  these  were,  in  many  cases,  sup- 
planted by  gross  errors  ;  introduced  by  false  teachers.  The 
standard  of  morals  in  that  age,  was  low,  and  corrupt  practices 
were  witnessed  among  the  professed  followers  of  Christ. — 
These  circumstances  induced  the  Apostles,  Paul,  Peter,  James, 
Jude  and  John,  to  address  letters  to  these  Churches,  for  their 
instruction,  correction  and  edification.  These  letters,  written 
under  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  form  an  exceedingly  val- 
uable part  of  the  sacred  volume.  They  unfold  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity,  and  exhibit  all  the  distinguishing  traits  of 
Christian  character.* 

The  last  book  in  the  sacred  canon,  the  Revelation  of  John, 
was  formed  in  the  isle  of  Patmos,  whither  he  was  banished, 
near  the  close  of  life  and  of  the  first  century,  and  published 
soon  after  his  release  at  Ephesus.  Excepting  an  introduction 
and  description  of  a  vision  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  an  address  of 
commendation  and  reproof  to  the  seven  Churches  of  Asia  ;  it 
is  a  most  sublime  and  wonderful  prophetic  exhibition  of  the 
great  events  which  should  occur  in  the  providence  of  God,  es- 


*  Ordery  time  an'dplace  in  which  the  Epistles  were  written. 

A.D, 

Place. 

.1.  D.        Place. 

I  Thessalonians, 

52, 

Corinth. 

Hebrews, 

63,          Rome. 

2  Thessalonians, 

52, 

do. 

I  Timothy, 

64,    Nicopolis. 

Galatians, 

52, 

do. 

Titus, 

64,  Macedonia. 

I  Corinthians, 

57, 

Ephesus. 

2  Timothy, 

65,          Rome. 

Romans, 

57, 

Corinth. 

James, 

61,  Jerusalem. 

2  Corinthians, 

58, 

Philippi. 

1  Peter, 

64,          Rome. 

Ephesians, 

61, 

Rome. 

2  Peter, 

65,            do. 

P  lilippians, 

62, 

do. 

1,2,  3  John, 

80—90,  Ephesus. 

Colossians, 

62, 

do. 

Jude, 

64,            do. 

Philemon, 

62, 

do. 

Revelations, 

96  or  97,        do. 

The  subscriptions  to  the  Epistles  are  spurious,  for  they  are  contra 
dieted  often,  by  the  books  themselves. 


Chap.  3.  jews  oppose  Christianity.  14T 

pecially  those  which  relate  to  his  Church,  of  the  millenium, 
and  the  judgment ;  of  the  eternal  happiness  of  the  righteous, 
and  the  endless  misery  of  the  finally  impenitent.  The  evan- 
gelical history,  the  Epistles  and  Revelation,  are  called  the  New 
Testament,  because  they  fully  unfold  God's  gracious  covenant 
with  his  people. 

That  glorious  kingdom,  spoken  of  by  Daniel  in  his  explana- 
tion of  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  ;  which  God  was  to  set  up  in 
the  most  splendid  period  of  the  Roman  empire  ;  which  was  to 
break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  earthly  kingdoms  and  stand 
forever,  was  now  firmly  established.  God  had  set  his  king  on 
the  holy  hill  of  Zion,  and  before  the  close  of  the  first  century, 
subjects  were  gathered  oat  of  dlmost  every  people  and  nation  in 
the  known  world.  Churches  were  planted  from  Ilindostan  to 
Gaul  ;  stated  means  of  grace  were  established  and  brought  in- 
to operation  ;  an  army  of  missionaries  was  waging  an  extermi- 
nating war  against  idolatry,  and  the  lusts  and  passions  of  men  ; 
and  the  spirit  of  God,  in  its  resistless  energy,  was  making  the 
word,  in  their  hands,  effectual  to  the  conviction  and  conversion 
of  a  multitude  whom  no  man  could  number. 

Such  triumphs  over  sin  and  hell  were  not  witnessed  by  the 
prince  of  this  world,  without  exciting  the  most  artful,  malignant 
and  deadly  hostility. 

The  first  opposition  which  arose  against  the  Church  of 
Christ,  was  from  those  to  whom  the  Gospel  was  first  preached  ; 
— the  Jews,  the  ancient  covenant  people  of  God.  A  degene- 
rate race,  holding  only  the  forms  of  religion  ;  proudj  hypocritical 
and  ambitious  in  the  extreme,  they  had  crucified  the  Lord  of 
glory ;  and  now,  when  they  saw  the  Church  arise,  in  spite  of 
all  their  efforts  to  suppress  it,  and  the  blood  of  Christ  come 
upon  them  and  their  children,  and  their  temple  worship  forsa- 
ken and  priesthood  despised,  they  persecuted  the  followers  of 
Christ  with  relentless  rage  in  Jerusalem,  and  throughout  Judea 
and  Galilee,  and  every  country  wherever  they  were  in  their  dis- 
persions. Some,  in  fulfilment  of  Christ's  prediction,  they  kil- 
led and  crucified  ;  others  they  scourged  in  their  synagogues, 
and  all  they  persecuted  from  city  to  city. 

Such  ingratitude,  perverseness  and  rebellion  ;  such  treat- 
ment of  his  Son,  his  messages  of  mercy,  his  Apostles  and  ser- 
vants called  aloud  for  the  vengeance  of  God.  The  divine  pa- 
tience was  exhausted.  Dear  as  their  Fathers  had  been,  God 
now  gave  up  this  people  to  blindness  of  mind  and  hardness  of 
heart,  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  their  iniquity.  He  rejected 
them  and  cast  them  off  from  being  his  people,  and  suffered  their 


148  «od's  judgment  upon  them.        Period  III, 

enemies  to  make  an  utter  extermination  of  their  city  and  na- 
tion. 

Under  Vespasian,  the  Romans  invaded  the  country  and  took 
the  cities  of  Galilee,  Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum, 
where  Christ  had  been  rejected,  destroyed  the  inhabitants  and 
left  nothing  but  ruin  and  desolation. 

Jerusalem  was  destroyed  A.  D.  70.  Its  destruction  was  dis- 
tinctly foretold  by  Christ  ;  but  no  tongue  can  tell  the  sufferings 
of  its  devoted  inhabitants.  Josephus,  who  was  an  eye-witness 
of  them,  remarks,  *'  that  all  the  calamities  that  ever  befel  any 
nation,  since  the  beginning  of  the  world,  were  inferior  to  the 
miseries  of  his  countrymen,  at  that  awful  period." 

After  the  death  of  Herod,  the  Jews  were  subject  to  Roman 
jurisdiction,  but  they  were  divided  into  violent  factions  led  by 
profligate  wretches,  and  soon  openly  revolted  from  the  imperial 
dominion.  Warned  by  Christ  before  his  crucifixion,*  of  the 
storm  that  was  about  to  burst  upon  the  devoted  city,  the  Chris- 
tians all  fled  to  Pella,  a  city  beyond  Jordan.  On  the  day  of 
the  Passover,  the  anniversary  of  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  Ti- 
tus, the  Roman  general,  encamped  before  Jerusalem  with  a 
formidable  army.  A  tremendous  siege  ensued.  The  Jews  de- 
fended themselves  with  astonishing  valour  ;  but  they  were  una- 
ble long  to  resist  the  power  of  the  Roman  engines.  To  accel- 
erate the  ruin,  Titus  enclosed  the  city  by  a  circumvallation, 
strengthened  by  thirteen  towers,  by  which  the  prophecy  of 
Christ  was  fulfilled,  "  the  days  shall  come  upon  thee,  when 
thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee  and  compass  thee 
around  on  every  side."t  Then  ensued  a  famine,  the  like  to 
which  the  world  had  never  witnessed.  An  eminent  Jewess, 
frantic  with  her  sufferings,  devoured  her  infant.  Moses  had 
long  before  predicted  this  very  thing.j:  "  The  tender  and  deli- 
cate woman  among  you,  who  would  not  venture  to  set  the  sole 
of  her  foot  upon  the  ground  for  delicateness  ;  her  eye  shall  be 
evil  towards  her  young  one  and  towards  her  children  which  she 
shall  bear,  for  she  shall  eat  them  for  want  of  all  things,  secretly 
in  the  siege  and  straitness  wherewith  thine  enemy  shall  distress 
thee  in  thy  gates."  Hearing  of  the  inhuman  deed,  Titus 
«wore  the  eternal  extirpation  of  the  accursed  city  and  people. 

t3n  the  17th  of  July,  the  daily  sacrifice  ceased,  according  to 
the  prediction  of  Danielj§  no  proper  person  being  left  to  min- 
ister at  the  altar. 


*  Mat*,  xsiv.  13.         I  Lnke  xix.  43.         X  Deut.  xxviii-  5^6. 
}  Daniel  ix.  27. 


Chap.  8.  destruction  of  jERisAtEM.  149 

The  Roman  commander  liad  determined  to  save  the  Tem- 
ple, as  an  honour  to  liimt^elf,  but  the  Lord  of  Hosts  had  purpo- 
sed its  destruction  and  it  nmst  be  accomplished.  On  the  lOth 
of  August,  a  Roman  soldier  siezed  a  brand  of  lire,  and  threw 
it  into  one  of  the  windows.  The  whole  Temple  was  soon  in 
flames.  The  frantic  Jews  and  Titus  himself  laboured  to  extin- 
guish it ;  but  in  vain.  Titus  entered  into  the  sanctuary,  and 
bore  away  the  golden  candlestick,  the  table  of  shew  ])read,  and 
the  volume  of  the  law,  wrapped  up  in  a  rich  golden  tissue. 
The  complete  conquest  of  Jerusalem  ensued.  Christ  had  fore- 
told that  "  there  should  be  great  tribulation,  such  as  was  not 
since  the  beginning  of  the  world."  During  the  siege,  which 
lasted  five  months,  eleven  hundred  thousand  Jews  perished  ; 
97,000  were  taken  prisoners.  The  number  destroyed  during 
the  war,  which  lasted  seven  years,  is  computed  at  one  million 
four  hundred  and  sixty-two  thousand.  This  city  was  ama- 
zingly strong.  Upon  viewing  the  ruins,  Titus  exclaimed, 
"  we  have  fought  with  the  assistance  of  God."  The  city  was 
completely  levelled,  and  Tarentius  Rufus  ploughed  up  the 
foundations  of  the  Temple.  Thus  literally  were  the  predic- 
tions of  Christ  fulfilled,  "  thine  eiiemies  shall  lay  thee  even 
with  the  ground  ;  and  there  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon 
another."* 

The  state  of  the  Jews  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
was  indescribably  wretched.  Indeed,  in  consequence  of  the 
numbers  slain  and  carried  captive,  and  the  vast  multitude  of  fu- 
gitives to  other  lands,  the  country  was  almost  depopulated. — 
Only  a  few  women  and  old  men  were  permitted  to  remain  about 
Jerusalem.  All  the  land  of  Judea  was  sold  by  an  imperial 
edict,  and  thef  tribute  was  confiscated  which  had  been  annuallv 
paid  to  the  Temple.  They  no  longer  existed  as  a  nation,  but 
were  scattered  through  the  earth,  and  have  continued  to  this 
day,  a  wonder,  a  reproach  and  a  by-word  among  all  nations. 

Such  were  the  judgments  of  heaven,  upon  the  first  opposers 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

But  the  most  terrible  opposition  with  which  the  Gospel  met, 
because  supported  by  the  greatest  worldly  power,  was  from  the 
Roman  Emperors.  Every  system  of  religion  had  been  tolera- 
ted among  Pagan  nations,  because  it  tolerated  in  turn,  every 
other  system.  But  Christianity  was  an  exclusive  system.  ]'t 
Titterly  condemned  and  discarded  all  the  gods  of  the  heathen 


*  Luke  xix.  44. 
L3* 


lof)  PERSECtTION  UNDER  NERO.        PeRIOD  III. 

as  vanity  and  a  lie,  and  turned  into  derision  all  the  absurdities 
of  pagan  superstition.  It  waged  an  exterminating  war  against 
all  the  sacriiices,  temples,  images,  oracles,  and  sacerdofal  or- 
ders of  Greece  and  Rome ;  cut  off  an  immense  multitude  of 
priests,  of  augurs,  attendants  and  artists,  from  their  ordinary 
means  of  subsistence  ;  and  was  so  simple  in  its  form  of  wor- 
ship, having  no  visible  symbol  of  Deity,  as  to  appear  to  the 
common  people,  little  better  than  Atheism.  By  the  heathen, 
therefore,  the  Christians  were  accounted  a  detestable  race  ; 
and  the  ingenuity  of  the  priests  was  employed  in  increasing  the 
public  prejudice  against  them,  by  representing  them  as  the 
cause  of  all  the  judgments  of  Heaven  which  descended  upon 
mankind. 

Ten  general  persecutions  they  are  said  to  have  suffered  in 
the  early  ages  of  the  Church  ;  besides  many  that  were  limited 
to  particular  provinces.  This  exact  number,  however,  it  is  diffi- 
cult for  us  to  verify  ;  but  we  can  specify  two  before  the  close 
of  the  first  century,  and  others  at  the  commencement  of  the 
second,  in  which  the  number  of  martyrdoms  were  prodigiously 
great,  and  the  sufferings  of  Christians  beyond  description. 

The  first  commenced  under  Nero,  about  the  year  of  our 
Lord  64,  and  continued  about  four  years.  This  inhuman  mon- 
ster set  fire  to  the  city  of  Rome,  that  he  might  have  the  plea- 
sure of  seeing  the  conflagration.  The  odium  he  incurred 
nearly  cost  him  his  head.  To  clear  himself,  he  charged  it  up- 
on the  Christians,  and  inflicted  upon  them  the  most  awful  suf- 
ferings. The  following  account  given  by  Tacitus,  an  heathen 
historian,  is  entitled  to  the  fullest  credit,  and  gives  us  many  in- 
teresting and  valuable  particulars.  *'  But  neither  the  emperor's 
donations,  nor  the  atonements  offered  to  the  gods,  could  re- 
move the  scandal  of  this  report,  but  it  was  still  believed  that 
the  city  had  been  burnt  by  his  instigation.  Nero,  therefore,  to 
put  a  stop  to  the  rumour,  charged  the  fact,  and  inflicted  the 
severest  punishments  for  it  upon  the  Christians,  as  they  were 
commonly  called  ;  a  people  detestable  for  their  crimes.  The 
author  of  this  sect  was  Christ,  who  was  put  to  death  by  Pontius 
Pilate.  The  destructive  superstition  which  was  by  this  means 
suppressed  for  the  present,  soon  broke  out  again,  and  not  only 
overspread  Judea,  where  it  first  arose,  but  reached  even  to 
Rome,  where  all  abominations  from  every  quarter  are  sure  to 
meet  and  to  find  acceptance.  Some  who  confessed  themselves 
Christians,  were  first  apprehended,  arid  a  vast  multitude  after- 
wards upon  their  impeachment,  who  were  condemned,  not  so 
much  for  burning  the  city^  as  for  being  the  objects  of  universa 


CjIAP.    3.  iMARTYRDOM    OF    PAITL    AND    PETER.  151 

hatred.  Their  sufferings  and  torments  were  heightened  by 
mockery  and  derision.  Some  were  enclosed  in  the  skins  of 
w  ild  beasts,  that  they  might  be  torn  in  pieces  by  dogs  ;  others 
were  crucified  ;  and  otliers,  being  covered  with  inflammable 
matter,  were  lighted  up  as  torches  at  the  close  of  the  day. — 
These  spectacles  were  exhibited  in  Nero's  gardens,  where  he 
held  a  kind  of  Circensian  show,  either  mixing  with  the  po[«u- 
lace  in  the  habit  of  a  charioteer,  or  himself  contending  in  the 
race.  Hence  it  came  to  pass  that,  criminal  and  undeserving  of 
mercy  as  they  were,  yet  they  were  pitied  as  being  destroyed 
merely  to  gratify  his  savage  and  cruel  disposition,  and  not  with 
any  view  to  the  public  good." 

Tacitus  had  the  common  feeling  about  Christianity  as  a  de- 
structive superstition,  and  about  Christians  as  undeserving  of 
mercy ;  but  his  testimony  shews  the  extent  and  horror  of  the 
persecution,  and  the  pity  excited  in  the  minds  of  the  people. — 
This  persecution  ceased  at  the  death  of  Nero,  who  destroyed 
himself;  he  having  been  condemned  by  a  decree  of  the  senate, 
to  be  whipped  to  death. 

In  this  persecution,  Paul  and  Peter  suffered  martyrdom. — 
The  former,  after  his  two  years  imprisonment  at  Rome,  once 
more  visited  and  confirmed  the  Churches  ;  but,  returning  to 
Rome,  about  the  year  G5^  he  found  no  mercy  from  Nero.  He 
had  converted  to  the  faith,  the  tyrant's  concubme  and  cupbear- 
er, and  had  displayed  before  him  the  terrors  of  the  judgment. — 
Such  a  man  was  not  to  be  tolerated,  lie  was  slaia  with  the 
sword,  by  Nero's  order. 

Peter  probably*  came  to  Rome,  about  the  year  63.  Here, 
he  wrote  his  two  epistles.  During  the  violence  of  persecution, 
the  brethren  begged  him  to  retreat.  But  he  chose  to  remain, 
warned  of  his  end,  it  is  reported,  in  a  vision,  by  Christ.  He 
%va3  crucified  with  his  head  downward — a  kind  of  death  which 
he  requested,  because  he  had  denied  his  Lord  and  Master. 

A  second  general  persecution  broke  out  about  94,  under  Do- 
uiitian  ;  a  prince  greatly  resembling  Nero,  in  his  temper  and 
conduct.  He  almost  extirpated  the  Church  by  his  cruelties. — 
Forty  thousand  Christians  were  put  to  death.  By  him  the  Apos- 
llie  John  was  banished  to  the  isle  of  Patmos,  where  he  had 
his  revelations.  By  him  also  Flavius  Clemens,  a  man  of  con- 
sular dignity,  and  Flavia  Domitilla,  his  niece  or  wife,  who  had 
become  distinguished  Christians,  were  put  to  death. 


.    *=  It  is  thought  by  many  that  Peter  oersr  came  to  Rome,  but  spent 
his  life  in  the  East. 


152  EARLY    HERESIES.  PeRIOD   IIJ 

Opposition  of  another  and  more  deadly  character  also  arose 
against  the  Church,  from  another  quarter,  in  the  eaily  stage  of 
its  existence.  Pretended  friends  rested  in  her  bosom,  who 
propagated  doctrines  utterly  subversive  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
Tertullian  and  Theodoret  reduce  them  to  two  classes,  the  Do- 
cetae  and  the  Ebioiiites.  The  former  denied  the  supreme  di- 
vinity of  Christ,  and  also  that  the  Son  of  God  had  any  proper 
humanity,  and  asserted  that  he  died  on  the  cross  in  appearance 
only.  The  latter  asserted  that  Jesus  Christ  was  a  mere  man, 
though  of  a  most  excellent  character.  They  both  denied 
atonement  by  his  blood,  and  expected  justification,  by  their  own 
works.  Among  the  former  were  the  Nicolaitans,  whom  Christ 
himself  mentions  to  John  with  utter  abhorrence.  They  had 
many  disgusting  peculiarities  ;  allowed  a  community  of  wives 
and  indulged  themselves  without  restraint,  in  sensual  pleasures. 
Against  these  heresies^  John  wrote  his  epistle  in  which  he  fully 
asserts  the  real  proper  divinity  of  the  Saviour.  The  Pbiouites 
considered  the  law  of  Moses  as  obligatory  upon  all  men,  and  as 
bringing  salvation.  They,  by  their  activity  and  zeal  in  propa- 
gating error  and  perplexing  the  early  Christians,  drew  from 
Paul  some  of  his  best  epistles.  The  watchfulness  and  power 
of  the  Apostles,  and  the  care  shewn  by  the  friends  of  truth 
and  godliness,  to  keep  themselves  distinct  from  all  who  per- 
verted the  Gospel,  preserved  the  Churches  from  destruction, 


CHAPTER  IV. 

^neral  state  of  the  Cliurclifrom  the  first  century  to  Constmi-^ 
tine.  Extension  of  the  Gospel.  Change  of  means.  Perse- 
cution  in  Bithynia.  Pliny^s  letter  to  Trajan.  Writings  of 
Clement.  Death  of  Simeon.  Martyrdom  of  Ignatius.  Fa- 
vourahle  decree  of  Adrian.  Sufferings  under  Bar chohehas. 
Favourable  decree  of  Antonius  Pius.  Persecutions  under 
Marcus.  Justin  Martyr.  Polycarp.  Persecutions  in 
France.  Rest  to  the  Churches  under  Commodus.  Corrup- 
tions of  the  Second  Century.  Increase  of  Rites  and  Ceremo- 
7iies.     Easter. 

The  history  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  from  the  close  of  the 
first  century  to  the  commencement  of  the  fourth,  is  one  of  con- 
tinual enlargement,  but  of  gradual  and  deep  declension  in  doc- 
trine and  holy  practice  ;  and  of  awful  suffering  from  the  fires  of 


Chap.  4.  extension  of  the  gospel.  153 

persecution.  It  was  not,  as  it  had  been  under  the  ancient  dis- 
pensation, a  distinct  nation,  governed  by  its  own  rulers  and 
laws,  appointed  by  God  ;  but  it  was  composed  of  a  vast  multi- 
tude, who  lived  in  all  parts  of  the  Roman  empire,  who  had 
been  persuaded  to  renounce  idolatry  and  enlist  under  the  ban- 
ner of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  who  were  united  in  small 
associations  or  Churches — each  enjoying  the  ministration  of 
the  Gospel  and  Christian  ordinances  from  a  stated  pastor.  At 
an  early  period,  these  Churches  associated  in  the  various  pro- 
vinces and  districts  for  their  mutual  support  and  edification,  and 
it  became  one  of  the  natural  consequences  of  frequent  assem- 
blies of  their  pastors  and  delegates  in  council,  for  him,  who  was 
stationed  in  the  metropolis,  to  gain  and  hold  a  kind  of  pre- 
eminence over  his  brethren  in  the  surrounding  country,  and  to 
be  their  presiding  elder  and  overseer.  Hence  the  parity  which 
Christ  had  established  among  his  ministers,  was  destroyed  ; 
and  the  office  of  Bishop  was  established,  which,  before  the 
close  of  the  period  above  alluded  to,  became  one  of  immense 
power  in  the  Church. 

Every  year,  converts  to  Christianity  were  prodigiously  multi<r 
pHed,  until  one  of  the  Fathers  could  say,  "  We  have  filled  all 
your  towns,  cities,  islands,  castles,  boroughs,  councils,  camps, 
courts,  palaces,  senate,  forum  :"  but  we  have  no  means  of  cor- 
rectly ascertaining  the  exact  time  when  the  Gospel  was  carried 
to  various  distant  nations,  or  who  were,  in  all  cases,  the  favor- 
ed instruments  of  disseminating  the  truth.  We  have  already 
seen  with  what  amazing  rapidity  it  spread  during  the  ministry 
of  the  Apostles.  But  it  is  not  like  an  art  or  a  science  which 
mankind  find  useful  to  themselves,  and  which  is  no  sooner 
known  by  one  nation,  than  it  is  carefully  sought  for  and  possess- 
ed by  every  other.  It  must  be  carried  to  the  world  and  press- 
ed upon  their  notice  by  those  who  possess  it  ;  and  it  will  be 
carried  by  those  only  who  are  constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ. 
Had  the  Church  retained  her  first  zecl  and  love,  not  a  nation 
nor  family  would  long  have  remained  without  the  Gospel.  But 
her  love  and  zeal  subsided,  until  few  efforts  were  made  to 
bring  men  to  the  acknowledgement  of  Christ,  but  for  purposes 
of  worldly  ambition.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  Christ  was 
known  and  worshipped  as  God,  among  the  Franks,  Germans, 
Spaniards,  Celts,  Britons,  and  throughout  the  East,  before  the 
close  of  the  F^econd  century  ;  and  that,  at  the  end  of  the  period 
we  are  considering,  Christianity  became  the  acknowledged  re- 
ligion of  the  whole  Roman  empire. 

As  the  Church  advanced  in  age,  and  became  widely  extead- 


154  tlEiei*  OP  -TRAJAN.  I^ERIOD    IIL 

fed,  the  means  of  increase  and  strength  were  in  some  respects 
changed.  The  Apostolic  office  had  ceased.  The  sacred  can- 
on being  closed,  prophets  were  no  more.  As  the  Gospel  was 
received  by  different  nations,  among  whom  preachers  were 
raised  up,  there  was  no  further  use  for  the  miraculous  gift  of 
tongues.  And  as  it  was  essential  that  the  world  should  be  con- 
vinced by  miracles  that  Christ  and  the  first  promulgators  of 
truth,  only,  were  inspired  from  heaven,  the  power  of  healing 
diseases  and  interrupting  the  established  laws  of  nature  was 
soon  withheld  ;  at  what  exact  period,  has  been  the  subject  of 
much  dispute,  but  is  of  little  moment.  One  thing  is  certain, 
that  men  are  converted  by  the  Gospel,  by  evangelical  truth, 
and  not  by  miracles  ;  and  that,  as  far  as  true  religion  wag 
Spread,  and  men  were  gathered  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  it  was 
by  the  preaching  of  Christ  and  him  crucified.  This  remained 
the  standing  means  of  salvation. 

Copies  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  were  multiplied  and  circula- 
ted to  as  great  an  extent,  as  they  could  be  in  an  age  when  the 
art  of  printing  was  unknown,  and  the  mass  of  Christians  were 
neither  learned  nor  wealthy,  i  he  latin  versions  were  chiefly 
lised  ;  because  that  language  was  generally  spoken  throughout 
the  Roman  empire. 

Most  of  the  emperors  who  reigned  in  the  second  century, 
were  of  a  mild  and  lenient  character  ;  and,  under  their  admin- 
istration, the  Churches  enjoyed  many  seasons  of  tranquility, 
though  occasionally,  they  v.'ere  called  to  pass  through  the  fire. 
Before  the  close  of  the  first  century,  Nerva  had  granted  tolera- 
tion to  the  church,  and  restored  the  Christian  exiles.  But  his 
successor,  Trajan,  renowned  for  his  philosophic  virtues,  if  he 
did  not  issue  edicts  against  the  Christians,  suffered  the  popu- 
lace to  wreak  their  vengeance  on  them  and  destroy  them  at 
their  pleasure. 

A  violent  persecution  raged  in  Bithynia.  Not  knowing  what 
course  to  pursue,  Pliny,  governor  of  the  province,  addressed  a 
letter  to  the  emperor,  which,  as  it  gives  such  an  account  of  the 
Christians  as  a  heathen  of  intelligence  and  candour  would  form, 
and  an  official  relation  of  the  persecutions  of  the  age,  deserves, 
together  with  the  answer  of  Trajan,  a  place  in  every  ecclesias- 
tical history.  It  was  probably  written  in  the  year  106  or  107,. 
soon  after  the  death  of  the  apostle  John. 

C.  Pliny  to  Trajan,  Emperor. 

^  Health.     It  is  my  usual  custom,.  Sir,  to  refer  all  things,  of 


Chap.  4.  fliny's  letteh  to  trajax.  155 

whicli  I  harbour  any  doubt,  to  you.  For  who  can-  better  direct 
my  judgiiient  in  its  hesitation,  or  instruct  my  understanding  in 
its  ifrnorance  ?  I  never  had  the  tortune  to  bo  present  at  any 
examination  of  Christians,  before  I  came  into  this  province.  I 
am,  therefore,  at  a  loss  to  determine  what  is  the  usual  object  of 
enquiry  or  of  punishment,  and  to  what,  lengt!)  either  of  them  is 
to  be  carried.  It  has  also  been  with  me  a  question  very  prob- 
lematical— whether  any  distinction  should  be  made  between 
the  young  and  the  old,  the  tender  and  the  robust  ;  whether  any 
room  should  be  given  for  repentance,  or  the  guilt  of  Christian!-, 
ty,  once  incurred,  is  not  to  be  expiated  by  the  most  unequivo- 
cal retractation — whether  the  name  itself,  abstracted  from  any 
flagitiousness  of  conduct,  or  the  crimes  connected  with  the 
name,  be  the  object  of  punishment.  In  the  mean  time  this 
has  been  my  method,  with  respect  to  those  who  were  brought 
before  me  as  Christians.  I  asked  them  whether  they  were 
Christians  1  If  they  pleaded  guilty,  I  interrogated  them  twice 
afresh,  with  a  menace  of  capital  punishment.  In  case  of  obsti- 
nate perseverance,  T  ordered  them  to  be  executed.  For  of 
this  I  Jiad  no  doubt,  whatever  was  the  nature  of  their  religion, 
that  a  sullen  and  obstinate  inflexibility  called  for  the  vengeance 
of  the  magistrate.  Some  were  infected  with  the  same  mad- 
ness, whom,  on  account  of  their  citizenship,  I  reserved  to  be 
sent  to  Rome,  to  your  tribunal.  In  the  course  of  this  business, 
informations  pouring  in  as  is  usual  when  they  are  encouraged, 
more  cases  occurred.  An  anonymous  libel  was  exhibited,  with 
a  catalogue  of  names  of  persons,  who  yet  declared  that  they 
were  not  Christians  then,  nor  ever  had  been  ;  and  they  repeat- 
ed after  me  an  invocation  of  the  gods  and  of  your  image,  which, 
for  this  purpose,  I  had  ordered  to  be  brought  with  the  images 
of  the  Deities.  They  performed  sacred  rites  with  wine  and 
frankincense,  and  execrated  Christ,  Vvhich  I  am  told,  no  Chris- 
tian can  ever  be  compelled  to  do.  On  this  account,  I  dismis- 
sed them.  Others,  named  by  an  informer,  first  affirmed  and 
then  denied  the  charge  of  Christianity  ;  declaring  that  they  had 
been  Christians,  but  had  ceased  to  be  so,  some  three  years  ago ; 
others,  still  longer  ;  some  even  twenty  years  ago.  All  of  them 
worshipped  your  image,  and  the  statues  of  the  gods,  and  also 
execrated  Christ.  And  this  was  the  account  which  they  gave 
of  the  nature  of  the  religion  they  once  had  professed  ;  whether 
it  deserves  the  name  of  crime  or  error,  namely — that  they  were 
accustomed  on  a  stated  day  to  meet  before  day-light  and  to  re- 
peat among  themselves  a  hymn  to  Christ  as  to  a  God,  and  to  bind 
Xhemselvcs  by  an  oath,  with  an  obligation  of  not  committing 


156  TRAJAN'S  ANSWER.  pERIOD    III. 

any  wickedness  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  of  abstaining  from  thefts, 
robberies  and  adulteries  ;  also,  of  not  violating-  their  promise  or 
denying  a  pledge  ;  after  which  it  was  their  custom  to  separate, 
and  to  meet  again  at  a  promiscuous,  harmless  meal,  from  which 
last  practice,  however,  they  desisted  after  the  publication  of  my 
edict,  in  which,  agreeably  to  your  orders,  I  forbad  any  socie- 
ties of  that  sort.  On  which  account,  I  judged  it  the  more  ne- 
cessary to  inquire,  by  torture,  from  two  females,  who  were  said 
to  be  deaconesses,  what  is  the  real  truth.  But  nothing  could 
I  collect,  except  a  depraved  and  excessive  superstition.  De- 
fering  therefore  any  farther  investigation,  I  determined  to  con- 
sult you.  For  the  number  of  culprits  is  so  great,  as  to  call  for 
serious  consultation. 

Many  persons  are  informed  against,  of  every  age  and  of  both 
sexes  ;  and  more  still  will  be  in  the  same  situation.  The  con- 
tagion of  the  superstition  hath  spread  not  only  through  cities, 
but  even  villages  in  the  country.  Not  that  I  think  it  impossi- 
ble to  check  and  to  correct  it.  The  success  of  my  endeav- 
ours hitherto  forbids  such  desponding  thoughts  ;  for  the  tem- 
ples, once  almost  desolate,  begin  to  be  frequented,  and  the 
sacred  solemnities,  which  had  long  been  intermitted  are  now 
attended  afresh,  and  the  sacrificial  victims  are  now  sold  every 
where,  which  once  could  scarcely  find  a  purchaser.  Whence, 
I  conclude,  that  many  might  be  reclaimed,  were  the  hope  of 
impunity  on  repentance,  absolutely  confirmed." 

Trajan  to  Pliny. 

You  have  done  perfectly  right,  my  dear  Pliny,  in  the  enquiry 
which  you  have  made  concerning  Christians.  For  truly  no 
one  general  rule  can  be  laid  down,  which  will  apply  itself  to 
all  cases.  These  people  must  not  be  sought  after.  If  they 
are  brought  before  you  and  convicted,  let  ihem  be  capitally 
punished  ;  yet  with  this  restriction,  that  if  any  one  renounce 
Christianity,  and  evidence  his  sincerity  by  supplicating  our 
gods,  however  suspected  he  may  be  for  the  past,  he  shall  ob- 
tain pardon  for  the  future,  on  his  repentance.  But  anonymous 
libels  ought,  in  no  case,  to  be  attended  to  ;  for  the  precedent 
would  be  of  the  worst  sort,  and  perfectly  incongruous  to  the 
maxims  of  my  government." 

From  this  important  correspondence  we  learn,  that  Chris- 
tians were  then  very  numerous  ; — that  they,  every  where,  wor- 
shipped Christ  as  God  ; — that  their  morals  were  not  only  im- 
impeachable^   but  of  an  high  character  ;  and  that,  because  of 


Chap.  4.  clement.  157 

the  spirit  of  Christianity,  the  heathen  temples  were  almost 
desolate,  and  the  sacrificial  victims  could  scarce  find  apmxha- 
ser.  This  is  the  testimony,  not  of  a  Christian,  but  of  a  hea- 
then governor.  Strange  that  such  men  as  Trajan  and  Pliny 
should  not  have  been  allured  by  a  religion  which  made  such 
good  men  and  peaceable  citizens  ;  or,  at  least,  should  not  have 
withheld  from  them  entirely  the  arm  of  persecution.  But 
there  is  no  coincidence  between  the  religion  of  a  virtuous 
Pagan,  and  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The  one  fosters  human 
pride  ;  the  other,  humbles  man  in  the  dust ;  so  that  often  the 
bitterest  enemies  of  the  cross,  are  those  wHo  have  made  the 
greatest  attainments,  as  they  themselves  think,  in  the  moral 
virtues. 

The  order  of  Trajan,  however,  was  favourable  to  the  Chris- 
tians, as  it  forbad  all  search  to  be  made  after  them,  and  prohib- 
ited all  anonymous  libels  and  accusations,  though  it  still  left 
the  door  open  for  persecution  and  death. 

From  this  correspondence  also,  and  from  the  other  histori- 
cal records  of  the  age,  we  learn,  that  the  Christians  were  look- 
ed upon  with  the  utmost  contempt.  Pliny  calls  their  religion 
"  a  depraved  and  excessive  superstition,"  and  views  their  at- 
tachment to  the  Gospel,  as  a  sullen  and  obstinate  inflexibility, 
demanding  the  vengeance  of  the  magistrate.  No  epithets  could 
be  too  debased  to  be  heaped  upon  them.  They  were  called 
atheists,  magicians,  haters  of  the  light,  self-murderers,  eaters 
of  human  flesh  ;  and  were  accused  of  unnatural  crimes,  which 
are  not  to  be  mentioned.  But  their  accusers  could  bring  no- 
thing against  them  excepting  that  they  would  not  invoke  the 
gods  and  execrate  Christ ;  and  when  any  apostates  would  do 
this,  they  were  at  once  forgiven  and  admitted  into  favor,  not- 
withstanding these  charges  of  gross  immorality. 

Had  we  correct  biographical  notices  of  those  who  conversed 
with,  and  survived  the  Apostles,  we  should,  no  doubt,  find  ma- 
ny among  them  who  illustriously  adorned  the  doctrine  of  God 
their  Saviour.  The  writings  only  of  Clement,  who  presided 
nine  years  over  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  whom  Paul  calls  his 
fellow  labourer,  whose  "  name  is  in  the  book  of  life,"  have 
come  down  to  us.  He  wrote  an  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  at 
the  close  of  the  first  century  ;  which  presents  him  as  strongly 
attached  to  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  ani- 
mated by  a  truly  apostolic  spirit ;  and  the  Corinthians,  as  still 
possessing  the  faith,  and  hope,  and  charity  of  the  Gospel, 
though  tarnished,  as  in  the  days  of  Paul,  with  pride  and  a 
schismatical  spirit. 

14 


15S  MARTYRDOM  OP  IGNATIUS.  PERIOD  IIL 

The  Successor  of  James,  in  the  pastoral  office  at  Jerusalenij 
was  Simeon.  The  Church  had  fled  to  Pella,  when  the  city 
was  encompassed  with  the  Roman  armies  ;  but  returned  to 
Judea,  about  the  beginning  of  Trajan's  reign,  after  quiet  was 
restored,  and  the  city  in  some  measure  rebuilt.  Here  Adrian 
found  them  worshipping  in  a  small  building  upon  Mount  Zion, 
when  he  came  to  repair  Jerusalem.  Simeon  lived  to  a  great 
age.  Being  accused  before  Atticus,  the  Roman  governor,  he 
was  scourged  many  days  and  then  crucified.  A.  D.  107 

In  the  same  year,  Ignatius,  who  presided  in  the  church  of 
Anlioch,  sutfered  martyrdom  for  the  faith  of  Jesus.  He  had 
in  his  youth  been  a  disciple  of  John,  and  had  been  intimately 
acquainted  with  Peter  and  Paul.  Peter,  it  is  said,  laid  hands 
on  him  when  he  was  here  ordained  to  the  pastoral  office. 
Having  continued  in  the  pastoral  charge  about  40  years,  he 
presented  himself  before  Trajan  on  his  way  to  the  Parthian 
war,  hoping  to  avert  a  storm  which  was  then  ready  to  burst  on 
the  Christians.  "  What  an  impious  spirit  art  thou,"  said 
Trajan,  "  both  to  transgress  our  commands,  and  to  inveigle 
others  into  the  same  foliy  to  their  ruin  !'  '"  Theophorus  ought 
not  to  be  called  so,"  answered  Ignatius,  "  forasmuch  as  all 
wicked  spirits  are  departed  from  the  servants  of  God.  But  if 
you  call  me  impious  because  I  am  hostile  to  evil  spirits,  I 
own  the  charge  in  that  respect.  For  I  dissolve  all  their  snares 
through  Christ,  the  heavenly  king."  Traj.  "  Pray  who  is  The- 
ophorus V  Ign.  '  He  who  has  Christ  in  his  breast.'  Traj.  'And 
thiukest  thou  not  that  gods  reside  in  us  also,  who  fight  for  us 
against  our  enemies  V  Ign.  '  You  mistake  in  calling  the  de- 
mons of  the  nations  by  the  name  of  gods.  For  there  is  only 
one  God,  who  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea  and  all  that  is 
in  them  ;  and  one  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  begotten  Son,  whose 
kingdom  be  my  portion.'  Traj.  '  His  kingdom,  do  you  say, 
who  was  crucified  under  Pilate  V  Ign.  '  His,  who  crucified  my 
sin  with  its  author,  and  has  put  all  the  fraud  and  malice  of  Sa- 
tan under  the  feet  of  those  who  carry  him  in  their  heart.' 
Traj.  '  Dost  thou  then  carry  him  who  was  crucified,  with  thee  ?' 
Ign.  '  I  do,'  for  it  is  written  "  I  dwell  in  them,  and  walk  in 
them."  Then  Trajan  pronounced  this  sentence  against  him. 
'''  Since  Ignatius  confesses  that  he  carries  within  himself,  him 
that  was  crucified,  we  command  that  he  be  carried,  bound  by 
soldiers,  to  great  Rome,  there  to  be  thrown  to  the  wild  beasts 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  people." 

This  excellent  man  "full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'" 
was  hurried  off  to  the  place  of  suflering.     On  his  way  to  Rome, 


€hAP.  4.  REIGN  OF  ADRIAN.  159 

he  stopped  at  Smyrna,  to  visit  Polycarp.  They  had  been  fel- 
low disciples  of  John.  Their  meeting  was  joyful.  Seven 
epistles  were  written  by  him  to  as  many  churches  before  he 
reached  the  end  of  his  journey.  From  these,  which  are  still 
extant,  though  perhaps  corrupted,  we  learn,  that  the  churches 
of  Asia  retained  much  evangelical  purity,  though  they  were  often 
greatly  perplexed  by  heresies,  and  borne  down  by  persecution  ; 
that  the  deity,  manhood  and  atonement  of  Christ  were  doc- 
trines unspeakably  precious  ;  and  that  an  entire  separation 
from  all  who  denied  the  fundamental  doctripes  of  Christianity 
was  the  foundation  of  their  long  continued  prosperity.  When 
he  came  to  Rome,  he  was  anxious  for  a  speedy  martyrdom,  and 
had  his  wish  granted,  for  he  was  immediately  led  into  the  am- 
phitheatre and  thrown  to  the  wild  beasts.  His  bones  were 
carefully  collected  by  his  friends  and  carried  to  Antioch. 

Trajan  was  succeeded  by  Adrian,  A.  D.  117  This  empe- 
ror was  respectfully  addressed  by  Quadratus  and  Aristides,  two 
excellent  Athenian  Christians,  in  behalf  of  the  churches  ;  and, 
by  them,  he  seems  to  have  been  induced  to  direct,  that  the  ca- 
lumniators of  Christians  should  not  only  not  be  heard,  but  should 
be  punished  ;  and  that,  if  any  were  presented  before  the  ma- 
gistrates, they  should  be  condemned  only  as  it  should  appear 
that  they  had  broken  the  laws.  This  was  the  most  favorable 
decree  that  had  ever  been  made  relating  to  the  followers  of 
Christ. 

During  Adrian's  reign,  appeared  a  great  impostor  among  the 
Jews,  called  Barchobebas,  because  he  pretended  to  be  the 
Star  prophesied  of  by  Balaam.  Defeated  in  every  way,  and  re- 
duced to  the  greatest  extremities,  the  Jews  received  him  with 
open  arms.  He  came  out  in  rebellion  against  the  emperor, 
but  was  soon  defeated  and  slain.  In  the  conflict,  however,  the 
Christians  were  great  sufferers  ;  for  the  Jews,  looking  upon 
them  as  the  authors  of  their  calamities,  every  where  inflicted 
upon  them  the  greatest  cruelties. 

The  next  emperor,  Antoninus  Pius,  was  still  more  favorable 
to  the  Christians  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign,  A.  D.  140, 
Justin  Martyr,  a  very  able  defender  of  the  truth,  presented  him 
an  apology  for  Christianity,  which  had  no  small  influence 
on  his  mind.  An  edict  issued  by  him,  in  consequence  of  com- 
plaints made  from  Asia  of  the  Christians,  as  the  cause  of  the 
earthquakes,  speaks  volumes  in  his  praise  ;  and  in  praise,  too, 
of  the  persecuted. 


160  DECREE  OF  ANTONINUS.  PeWOD   III. 

*'  The  Emperor,  to  the  Common  Council  op  Asia." 

"  I  am  quite  of  opinion  that  the  gods  will  take  care  to  disco v-^ 
er  such  persons.  For  it  much  more  concerns  them  to  punish 
those  who  refuse  to  worship  them,  than  you,  if  they  be  able. 
But  you  harrass  and  vex  the  Christians  and  accuse  them  of 
atheism  and  other  crimes,  which  you  can,  by  no  means,  prove. 
To  them  it  appears  an  advantage  to  die  for  their  rehgion  ;  and 
they  will  gain  their  point,  while  they  throw  away  their  lives  ra- 
ther than  comply  with  your  injunctions.  As  to  the  earthquakes, 
which  have  happened  in  past  times,  or  lately,  is  it  not  proper 
to  remind  you  of  your  own  despondency, v.'hen  they  happen,  and 
to  desire  you  to  compare  your  spirit  with  their's,  and  observe 
how  serenely  they  confide  in  God  ?  In  such  seasons  you  seem 
to  be  ignorant  of  the  gods,  and  to  neglect  their  worship.  You 
live  in  the  practical  ignorance  of  the  Supreme  God  himself,  and 
you  harrass  and  persecute  to  death  those  who  do  worship  him. 
Concerning  these  same  men,  some  others  of  the  provincial  go- 
vernors wrote  to  our  divine  father  Adrian,  to  whom  he  return- 
ed answer,  "  That  they  should  not  be  molested,  unless  they 
appeared  to  attempt  something  against  the  Roman  govern- 
ment "  Many  also  have  signified  to  me  concernmg  these  men, 
to  whom  I  have  returned  an  answer  agreeable  to  the  maxims 
of  my  father.  But  if  any  person  will  still  persist  in  accusing 
the  Christians  merely  as  such—  Let  the  accused  be  acquitted, 
though  he  appear  to  be  a  Christian,  and  let  the  accuser  be 
punished." 

This  was  certainly  no  ordinary,  and  we  are  assured  by  Euse- 
bius,  it  was  no  empty  edict  ;  for  it  was  fully  put  in  execution, 
and  gave  the  church  about  23  years  of  peace  and  prosperity. 
But  such  seasons,  she  was  liable  to  abuse  ;  provoking  against 
her  the  anger  of  heaven.  From  worldly  mindedness  and 
stupidity,  however,  she  was  again  soon  roused  by  the  fires  of 
persecution. 

In  the  year  161,  Pius  was  succeeded  by  Marcus  Antoninus, 
a  man  of  eminence  in  the  schools  of  philosophy  ;  whose  medi- 
tations, humanity  and  beneficence,  have  gained  him  the  plaudits 
of  succeeding  generations,  but  whose  pride  and  self-importance 
made  him  scorn  the  doctrines  of  the  cross  ;  made  him,  for 
nineteen  years,  a  bitter  persecutor  of  the  followers  of  the  meek 
and  lowly  Jesus.  Very  able  apologies  were  made  for  the 
Christians  by  Justin,  Tatian,  Athenagoras,  Apollinaris,  Theo- 
philus  and  Melito ;  but  they  were  regarded  by  Marcus  as  a 
vain,  obstinate  and  evil  minded  race,  and  left,  without  relief, 


Chap.  4.  martyrdom  op  justin.  161 

to  the  most  cruel  tortures.  So  much,  however,  were  former 
edicts  regarded,  that  none  could  be  condemned  unless  some 
crime  was  brought  against  them  ;  but  the  enraged  heathen 
priests  and  corrupt  judges  found  no  difficulty  in  suborning  false 
witnesses,  and  procuring  the  death  of  all  who  were  brought  be- 
fore them. 

In  the  year  163,  the  able  apologist  Justin,  slept  in  Jesus. 
He  was  educated  a  philosopher,  and  was,  probably,  the  most 
learned  man,  who,  since  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  had  embra- 
ced Christianity.  In  early  life,  he  wandered  through  all  the 
systems  of  philosophy  in  pursuit  of  God  and  happiness,  but 
found  no  satisfaction.  At  length,  he  examined  the  Gospel,  and 
found  peace  for  his  soul.  To  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer  he 
consecrated  his  habits  of  study,  and  became  its  able  supporter. 
His  views  of  Christian  doctrine  were  once,  in  the  main,  evan- 
gelical ;  but  he  was  nearly  ruined  by  a  philosophising  spirit. 
Of  those  who  denied  the  deity  of  Christ,  he  thus  expressed 
himself:  "  There  are  some  who  call  themselves  Christians  who 
confess  him  to  be  the  Christ,  but  still  maintain  that  he  is  a 
mere  man  only,  with  whom  I  agree  not  ;  neither  do  most  of 
those  who  bear  that  name  agree  with  them  ;  because  we  are 
commanded  by  Christ  himself  not  to  obey  the  precepts  of  men, 
but  his  own  injunctions  and  those  of  the  holy  prophets.  As 
for  myself  I  am  too  mean  to  say  any  thing  becoming  his  infinite 
deity."  His  apologies  for  Christianity  are  still  extant,  and  are 
very  valuable. 

This  learned  and  excellent  man  was  imprisoned,  whipped, 
and  beheaded  for  the  crime  of  being  a  Christian.  We  have 
his  testimony  to  the  interesting  and  important  fact,  that  the 
Churches  in  his  time  examined  those  they  received,  not  only 
concerning  their  creed,  but  concerning  a  work  of  grace  in  their 
liearts. 

But  the  most  distinguished  martyr  of  the  age,  was  Polycarp. 
This  venerable  man  was,  with  Ignatius,  the  disciple  of  John  ; 
was  intimate  with  the  Apostles,  and  was  ordained  by  them  over 
the  church  of  Smyrna.  The  learned  Usher  says,  it  is  beyond 
all  question,  that  he  was  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Smyrna,  to 
whom  the  apocalyptical  epistle  was  sent.  If  so,  his  martyrdom 
was  there  particularly  predicted.  For  seventy  years,  he  had 
been  a  firm  pillar  in  the  Church.  Against  the  heretics  of  the 
age,  especially  the  Docetae,  who  denied  the  humanity  of  Christy 
rejected  the  Old  Testament,  and  mutilated  the  New,  he  oppo- 
sed himself  with  the  greatest  firmness.  To  Marcion,  their  chief, 
who  one  day  called  out  to  him,  "  Polycarp,  own  us."     '•  I  do 

14* 


1G2  MARTYRDOM  OF  POLYCARP.  PeRIOD   III. 

own  thee, "  said  he,  "  to  be  the  first  born  of  Satan."  Ireneus 
informs  us,  that  he  often  heard  from  his  Hps.an  account  of  his 
conversations  with  John,  and  others  w^ho  had  seen  our* Lord, 
whose  sayings  he  rehearsed. 

This  venerable  man  was  brought  to  the  tribunal  in  the  hun- 
dredth year  of  his  age.  The  proconsul  told  him  to  reproach 
Christ  and  he  would  release  him.  "  Eighty  and  six  years," 
said  Polycarp,  *'  have  1  served  him,  and  he  hath  never  wronged 
me,  and  how  can  I  blaspheme  my  king  who  hath  saved  me  ?" 
"  I  have  wild  beasts,"  said  the  proconsul.  "  Call  them,"  said 
the  martyr.  *'  I  will  tame  your  spirit  by  fire."  "  You  threaten 
me  with  fire,  which  burns  for  a  moment  and  will  be  soon  ex- 
tinct ;  but  you  are  ignorant  of  the  future  judgment  and  of  the 
fire  of  eternal  punishment  reserved  for  the  ungodly.  But  why 
do  you  delay  ?  Do  what  you  please."  The  fire  being  prepa- 
red, and  he  being  bound,  a  distinguished  sacrifice,  clasped  his 
hands,  which  were  tied  behind  him,  and  said,  "  O,  Father  of 
thy  beloved  and  blessed  son  Jesus  Christ,  through  whom  we 
have  attained  the  knowledge  of  thee,  O  God  of  angels  and 
principalities,  and  of  all  creation,  and  of  all  the  just,  who  live  in 
thy  sight,  I  bless  thee  that  thou  hast  counted  me  worthy  of  this 
day,  and  this  hour,  to  receive  my  portion  in  the  number  of  mar- 
tyrs, in  the  cup  of  Christ,  for  the  resurrection  to  eternal  life, 
both  of  soul  and  body,  in  the  incorruption  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
among  whom  may  1  be  received  before  thee  this  day  as  a  sacri- 
fice well  savoured  and  acceptable,  which  thou  the  faithful  and 
true  God  hast  prepared,  promised  before-hand  and  fulfilled  ac- 
cordingly. Wherefore  I  praise  thee  for  all  these  things,  1  glo- 
rify thee  by  the  eternal  High  priest,  thy  well  beloved  Son, 
through  whom,  with  him  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  glory  to  tliee, 
both  now  and  forever.     Amen." 

Eleven  brethren  from  Philadelphia  suffered  with  him,  A.  D. 
167.  If  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  died  as  a  mere  martyr  to  the 
truth,  how  inferior  was  he  in  fortitude,  to  his  servant  Polycarp. 
''  O  my  Father,"  said  he,  "  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass 
Trom  me."  But  he  was  an  atoning  sacrifice,  called  to  bear  his 
Father's  wrath,  for  our  sins. 

By  the  persecutions  of  Antoninus,  our  attention  is  here  di- 
rected to  a  country  hitherto  unknown  in  ecclesiastical  history. 
Flourishing  churches  had  been  planted  in  Vienne  and  Lyons  in 
France,  then  called  Gallia  ;  probably,  by  the  churches 
of  Asia.  The  account  given  by  themselves  of  their  suflTerings, 
under  Severus  the  Roman  governor,  will  be  read  with  great 
interest  by  all  who  love  to  trace  the  children  of  God  in  their 


Chap.  4.  martyrs  op  vienne  and  lyons.  165 

Christian  warfare.  Tt  affords  a  very  full  account  of  the  humili- 
ty, meekness,  patience,  magnanimity  and  heavenly-mindedness 
of  the  martyrs;  of  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  of  the 
supports  of  religion  under  the  most  excruciating  sulferings,  and 
must  excite,  in  every  reader,  a  spirit  of  gratitude  to  God,  for 
the  inestimable  blessings  which  we,  in  this  age  of  light  and  lib- 
erty, arc  permitted  to  enjoy. 

7'Ae  Epistle  of  the    Churches  of   Vienne  and  Lyons y  to  the 
Brethren  in  Asia  and  Pkrygia. 

ABRIDGED. 

*'  The  servants  of  Christ,  sojourning  in  Vienne  and  Lyons  in 
France,  to  the  brethren  in  Asia  propria  and  Phrygia,  who  have 
the  same  faith  and  hope  of  redemption  with  ns  ;  peace  and 
grace  and  glory  from  God  the  Father  and  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord. 

We  are  not  competent  to  describe  with  accuracy,  nor  is  it  in 
our  power  to  express  the  greatness  of  the  affliction  sustained 
here  by  the  saints  ;  the  intense  animosity  of  the  heathen  against 
them,  and  the  complicated  sufferings  of  the  blessed  martyrs. 
The  grand  enemy  assaulted  us  with  all  his  might  ;  and,  by  his 
first  essays,  exhibited  intentions  of  exercising  malice  without 
limits  and  without  control.  He  left  no  method  untried  to  ha- 
bituate his  slaves  to  his  bloody  work,  and  to  prepare  them  by 
previous  exercises  against  the  servants  of  God.  Christiana 
were  absolutely  prohibited  from  appearing  in  any  houses,  ex- 
cepting their  own  ;  in  baths  ;  in  the  market,  or  in  any  public 
places  whatever.  The  grace  of  God,  however,  fought  for  us, 
preserving  the  weak  and  exposing  the  strong  ;  who,  like  pillars, 
were  able  to  withstand  them  in  patience,  and  to  draw  the 
whole  fury  of  the  wicked  ag^;inst  themselves.  These  entered 
into  the  contest,  and  sustained  every  species  of  pain  and  re- 
proach. What  was  heavy  to  others,  to  them  was  light  while 
they  were  hastening  to  Christ,  evincing,  indeed,  that  ^he  suffer- 
ings of  this  present  time,  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the 
glory  that  shall  be  revealed  in  us. 

The  first  trial  was  from  the  people  at  large;  shouts, blows, 
the  dragging  of  their  bodies,  the  plundering  of  their  goods,  cast- 
ing of  stones,  and  the  confining  of  them  within  their  own  hou- 
ses, and  all  the  indignities  which  may  be  expected  from  a  fierce 
a,ncl  outrageous  multitude  ;  these  were  magnanimously  sus- 
tained.    Being  led  into  the  Forum  by  the  tribune  and  the  ma- 


164  MARTYRS  OF  PeRIOD   IIL 

gistrates,  they  were  examined  before  all  the  people,  whether 
they  were  Christians  ;  and,  on  pleading  guilty,  were  shut  up 
in  prison  till  the  arrival  of  the  governor.  Before  him  they  were 
at  length  brought,  and  he  treated  us  with  the  greatest  savage- 
ness  of  manners.  The  capital  martyrs  discharged  their  part 
with  all  alacrity  of  mind.  Others  seemed  not  so  ready — as  yet 
weak,  unable  to  sustain  the  shock  of  so  great  a  contest.  Ten 
lapsed,  whose  case  filled  us  with  great  and  unmeasurable  sor- 
row. Persons  were  now  apprehended  daily,  of  such  as  were 
counted  worthy  to  fill  up  the  number  of  the  lapsed  ;  so  that 
the  most  excellent  were  selected  from  the  two  churches,  even 
those  by  whose  labour  they  had  been  founded  and  established. 
There  were  seized,  at  the  same  time,  some  of  our  heathen  ser- 
vants, who,  by  the  impulse  of  Satan,  fearing  the  torments  which 
they  saw  inflicted  on  the  saints,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  sol- 
diers, accused  us  of  eating  human  flesh,  and  of  various  unnat- 
ural crimes,  and  of  things  not  fit  even  to  be  mentioned  or  ima- 
gined, and  such  as  ought  not  to  be  believed  of  mankind.  These 
things  being  divulged,  all  were  incensed  to  madness  against  us, 
so  that  if  some  were  formerly  more  moderate  on  account  of  any 
connexions  of  blood,  affinity  or  friendship,  they  were  then  trans- 
ported beyond  all  bounds  with  indignation. 

Now  it  was  that  our  Lord's  word  was  fulfilled — "The 
time  will  come  when  whosoever  killeth  you  will  think  that  he 
doeth  God  service."  The  holy  martyrs  now  sustained  tortures 
which  exceed  the  powers  of  description  ;  Satan  labouring  by 
means  of  these  tortures  to  extort  something  slanderous  against 
Christianity.  The  whole  fury  of  the  multitude,  the  governor 
and  the  soldiers,  was  spent  in  a  particular  manner  on  Sanctus 
of  Vienne,  the  deacon  ;  and  on  Maturus,  a  late  convert  indeed, 
but  a  magnanimous  wrestler  in  spiritual  things  ;  and  on  Atta- 
ins of  Pergamus,  a  man  who  had  ever  been  a  pillar  and  support 
of  our  church  ;  and  lastly  on  Blandina,  through  whom  Christ 
shewed  that  those  things  that  appear  unsightly  and  contempti- 
ble among  men,  are  most  honorable  in  the  presence  of  God, 
on  account  of  love  to  his  name,  exhibited  in  real  energy,  and 
not  in  boasting  and  pompous  pretences.  To  every  interroga- 
tory, Sanctus  answered,  I  am  a  Christian.  Having  exhausted 
all  the  usual  methods  of  torture,  they,  at  last,  fixed  red  hot 
plates  of  brass  to  the  most  tender  parts  of  his  body.  But  he 
remained  inflexible.  Some  young  persons,  whose  bodies  had 
been  unexercised  with  sufferings,  unequal  to  the  severity  of  the 
confinement,  expired.  Pothinus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  upwards  of 
ninety  years  of  age,  and  very  infirm  and  asthmatic,  yet  strong 


Chap.  4.  vienne  and  lyons.  165 

in  spirit,  and  panting  after  martyrdom,  was  dragged  before  the 
tribunal,  treated  with  the  greatest  indignity,  thrown  into  prison, 
where,  after  two  days,  he  expired. 

The  martyrs  were  put  to  death  in  various  ways.  Maturus, 
Sanctius  Blandina  and  Attalus,  were  led  to  the  wild  beasts  in 
the  amphitheatre  to  be  the  common  spectacle  of  Gentile  inhu- 
manity. 

Ca3sar  sent  orders  that  the  confessors  of  Christ  should  be 
put  to  deatli,  and  that  the  apostates  from  their  divine  mae^ter 
should  be  dismissed,  'i'hese  were  interrogated  separate  from 
the  rest,  as  persons  soon  to  be  dismissed,  and  made  a  confes- 
sion to  the  surprise  of  the  Geniiles,  and  were  added  to  the  list 
of  martyrs.  A  small  number  still  remained  in  apostacy  ;  but 
they  were  those  who  possessed  not  the  least  spark  of  divine 
faith,  had  not  the  least  acquamtance  with  the  riches  of  Christ 
in  their  souls,  and  had  no  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes  ;  wiiose 
life  had  brought  reproach  on  Chri^tianity,  and  had  evidenced 
them  to  be  the  children  of  perdition. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  spectacles,  Blandina  was  again  intro- 
duced with  Ponticus,  a  youth  of  fifteen.  They  were  ordered 
to  swear  by  the  idols  ;  and  the  mob  perceiving  them  to  perse- 
vere immoveably,  were  incensed,  and  no  pity  was  shewn.  Pon- 
ticus, animated  by  his  sister,  who  was  observed  by  the  heathen 
to  strengthen  and  confirm  him,  after  a  magnanimous  exertion 
of  patience,  yielded  up  the  ghost.  After  she  (Blandina)  had 
endured  stripes,  the  tearing  of  the  beasts  and  the  hot  iron  chair, 
she  was  enclosed  in  a  net  and  thrown  to  a  bull,  and  having 
been  tossed  sometime  by  the  animal,  and  proving  quite  suyierior 
to  her  pains,  through  the  influence  of  hope  and  the  realizing 
view  of  the  objects  of  her  faith  and  her  fellowship  with  Christ, 
she  at  length  breathed  out  her  soul.  Even  her  enemies  con- 
fessed that  no  woman  among  them  had  ever  suffered  such  and 
so  great  things. 

The  bodies  of  the  martyrs  having  been  contumeliously 
treated  and  exposed  for  six  days,  were  burnt  and  reduced  to 
ashes,  and  scattered  by  the  wicked  into  the  Rhone,  that  not 
the  least  particle  of  them  might  appear  on  the  earth  any  more. 
And  they  did  these  things  as  if  they  could  prevail  against  God, 
and  prevent  their  resurrection — and  that  they  might  deter  oth- 
ers, as  they  said,  from  the  hope  of  a  future  life; — On  which 
relying,  they  introduce  a  strange  and  new  religion,  and  despise 
the  most  excruciating  tortures  and  die  with  joy.  Now  let  us 
see  if  they  will  rise  again,  and  if  their  God  can  help  them,  and 
deliver  them  out  of  our  hands." 


166  CORRUPTIONS  OP  THE  SECOND  CENTURY.         PeRIOD  III 

Antoninus  was  succeeded,  toward  the  close  of  the  second 
century,  by  Commodus  ;  under  whom,  though  he  himself  was 
a  most  profligate  prince,  the  Church  enjoyed  about  twelve 
years  of  peace  and  rest.  During  this  period,  many  of  the  no- 
bihty  of  Rome,  with  their  whole  families,  embraced  Christian- 
ity, and  the  Gospel  was  widely  extended. 

The  second  century  was  not  favourable  to  the  rise  of  new 
and  powerful  heresies.  The  great  line  of  distinction  was 
yet  between  Pagans  and  Christians.  The  question  was,  Will 
you  bow  to  the  idols,  or  are  you  a  follower  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ?  The  Christians  were  too  much  oppressed  to  be  con- 
tending with  each  other,  and  had  too  much  of  the  simple 
faith  of  Jesus  to  give  heed  to  seducing  spirits.  Opposers 
there  were  as  in  the  first  century,  to  the  deity  and  humanity  of 
Christ,  and  to  the  doctrines  of  grace,  who  ran  into  a  thousand 
unmeaning  subtleties  and  fancies,  according  with  the  philoso- 
phy of  the  age  ;  and  one  Montanus,  pretended  that  he  was 
the  Paraclete  or  Comforter,  whom  the  divine  Saviour,  at  his 
departure,  promised  to  send  to  his  disciples,  to  lead  them  in- 
to all  tr'tth,  and  who  was  to  perfect  the  Gospel  by  adding  new 
precepts,  requiring  holiness  and  more  abstraction  from  the 
world  than  Christ  had  demanded.  He  had  many  followers  in 
Asia  and  Africa.  But  no  new  doctrine  was  able  in  this  period 
to  create  any  extensive  and  permanent  interest. 

Owing,  however,  to  a  co-operation  of  a  number  of  power- 
ful causes,  there  was,  in  this  century,  a  vast  increase  of  use- 
less rites  and  ceremonies.  The  Christians  innocently  desired 
a  spread  of  Christianity.  Instead  of  depending  on  the  power 
of  truth  and  holy  example,  under  the  operation  of  the  Spirit, 
they  attempted  to  please  both  Jews  and  Heathens,  by  an  adop- 
tion of  forms  and  ceremonies  from  their  religions.  They 
were  called  atheists,  because  of  the  simplicity  and  spirituality 
of  their  religion  :  and,  to  avoid  this  reproach,  they  were  indu- 
ced to  have  a  more  visible  and  splendid  worship,  to  multiply 
temples,  altars,  days  of  fasting,  peculiarities  of  dress  and 
splendid  ceremonies.  To  give  importance  to  Christian  doc- 
trine, the  symbolical  manner  of  teaching,  popular  in  that  age, 
was  introduced  ;  and,  to  express  their  new  and  solemn  engage- 
ments to  Christ,  military  rites  and  phrases  were  brought  into 
the  peaceful  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer.  Having  once,  from 
these  and  other  causes,  departed  from  the  simplicity  of  Chris- 
tian worship,tlie  multiplication  of  rites  and  ceremonies  ceased 
not  for  centuries. 
Christ  had  instituted  the  supper  as  a  memorial  of  His  death  ; 


OhAP.   5.  TIirRD  CENTURY.  167 

but,  not  content  with  this,  his  followers  soon  began  to  com- 
memorate, annually,  almost  every  remarkable  event  which  oc- 
curred in  the  first  establishment  of  Christianity.  The  great 
anniversary  festivals,  which  had  in  this  century  gained  footing, 
were  in  commemoration  of  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ 
and  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  Apostles.  The 
first,  which  was  called  Easter  or  the  pasclial  feast,  because  the 
day  of  Christ's  death  was  considered  as  the  same  as  that  on 
\yhich  the  Jews  celebrated  the  passover,  was  soon  the  occa- 
sion of  a  disgraceful  schism  which  rent  asunder  the  Christian 
world.  The  Asiatic  Christians  observed  this  festival  on  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  first  Jewish  month;  and,  three  days  af- 
ter, commemorated  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  The  western 
Christians  celebrated  it  the  night  before  his  resurrection,  that 
they  might  connect  his  death  and  resurrection  in  one  festival. 
Frequent  conferences  were  held  among  dislinguished  men  in 
the  East  and  the  West.  Toward  the  close  of  the  second  cen- 
tury, Victor,  bishop  of  Rome,  endeavoured  to  compel  the  Asi- 
atic churches  to  submit  to  the  VV  estern  custom,  and,  failing  in 
his  attempt,  broke  all  communion  with  them.  Each  party  re- 
tained its  own  custom  until  the  fourth  century,  when  the  coun- 
cil of  Nice  abolished  that  of  the  Asiatics,  and  reduced  all  the 
Churches  to  uniformity. 


CHAPIER  V. 

Conduct  of  the  Roman  Emperors  in  the  Third  Century.  Ex- 
tension of  the  Gospel  Decline  of  Piety.  Increase  of  Use- 
less Rites.  Genuine  Fruits  of  the  Spirit.  Tertullian's  Ac^ 
count  of  the  Conduct  of  the  Christians.  His  Character. 
Irenius.  Origen.  Cypria^.  Question  concerning  Infant 
Baptism.  Novations.  Sahellians.  Manicheans.  Attacks 
of  Heathen  Philosophers,  Porphyry.  First  great  Declen- 
sion of  Christianity.  Trcfnendous  Persecution  under  Dio- 
clesian.  Elevation  of  Constantine  to  the  Roman  Empire. 
Abolition  of  the  Ancient  Religion  of  Rome.  Establishment 
of  Christianity  throughout  the  Empire. 

The  remainder  of  the  period,  referred  to  in  the  beginning  of 
the  last  chapter,  was,  excepting  in  its  close,  similar  to  that 
which  has  just  been  described  ;  presenting  a  constant  succes- 
►^ion  of  persecutions  from  Pagans,  frequently  relieved  by  Empe- 


16S  INCREASE  OP  BITES.  PERIOD   III. 

rors  who  were  friendly  to  the  Christian  cause.  In  the  year 
203,  the  emperor  Sevenis  made  a  law\  forbidding  any  subject  of 
his  empire  to  change  his  religion.  This  law  was  designed  to 
retard  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  ;  and,  being  severely  enforced, 
brought  many,  of  both  sexes,  to  the  most  cruel  deaths.  A  few 
years  after,  the  fires  of  persecution  raged  under  Maximin. 
But  the  most  dreadful  persecution,  of  the  third  century,  was 
under  Decius,  who  ascended  the  imperial  throne,  A.  D.  249. 
He  ordered  the  pretors,  on  pain  of  death,  to  extirpate  the 
whole  body  of  Christians  without  exception  ;  or  force  them, 
by  torments,  to  bow  to  the  heathen  gods.  This  pers^  cution 
raged  about  two  years  ;  vast  multitudes  were  destroyed.  But 
other  emperors  were  extremely  clement,  and  some,  especially 
Philip  and  his  son,  so  favourable  to  the  Christians,  as  to  pro- 
duce a  general  impression  that  they  were  in  heart  with  them. 
There  was,  therefore,  a  great  advancement  of  the  church  in  the 
third  century  ;  the  persecutions  doing  but  little  to  retard  and 
much  to  purify  her.  The  immunities  of  Christians  were,  also, 
considerably  increased,  and,  under  most  of  the  Emperors,  they 
were  advanced  to  places  of  power  and  trust. 

The  limits  of  the  Church  were  considerably  extended.  Ori- 
gin carried  the  gospel  into  Arabia.  Panteenus  into  India.  And 
some  zealous  missionaries  planted  Churches  at  Paris,  Tours  and 
Aries  in  France,  also  at  Cologn,  Treves  and  Metz  in  Germany, 
and  passed  into  Scotland. 

Almost  proportionate  with  the  extension  of  Christianity,  was 
the  decrease  in  the  Church  of  vital  piety.  A  philosophising 
spirit  among  the  higher,  and  a  wild  monkish  superstition  among 
the  lower  orders,  fast  took  the  place,  in  the  third  century,  of 
the  faith  and  humility  of  the  first  Christians.  Many  of  the  cler- 
gy became  very  corrupt,  and  excessively  ambitious.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  there  was  an  awful  defection  of  Christians  under 
the  persecution  of  Decius.  Some  wholly  renounced  Christian- 
ity, while  others  saved  themselves,  either  by  oifering  sacrifices, 
or  by  burning  incense  before  the  heathen  gods,  or  purchasing 
certificates  from  the  heathen  priests. 

Amid  the  decline  of  piety  and  under  the  influence  of  the 
course  already  mentioned,  useless  rites  and  ceremonies  contin- 
ued to  increase.  The  minds  of  men  were  filled  with  the  orien- 
tal superstitions  concerning  demons  and  apparitions,  and  with 
the  business  of  exorcism  and  spells.  Those  who  were  not  bap- 
tized or  excommunicated,  were  carefully  avoided  as  possessed 
of  some  evil  spirit.  And  when  any  were  baptized,  the  evil  de- 
mon with  much  form  and  ceremony,  and  loud  shouting,  was 


Chap.  5.  fruits  of  the  spirit.  109 

driven  out,  and  the  baptized  were  crowned  and  clothed  witli 
white  garments,  as  conquerors  over  sin  and  the  w^orld.  The 
sign  of  the  cross,  was,  in  this  early  period,  supposed  to  possess 
power  to  avert  calamities  and  to  drive  off  demons,  and  was  car- 
ried by  Christians  wherever  they  went.  Fasting  was  in  high  re- 
pute. Prayers  were  offered  three  times  a  day,  and  forms  began 
to  be  introduced.  Sermons  were  long,  full  of  trope  and  figure, 
in  affectation  of  Grecian  eloquence.  And  saints  began  to  feel 
that  there  could  be  no  piety  out  of  the  bounds  of  a  particular 
Church  government. 

But  notwithstanding  these  degeneracies,  many  and  precious 
were  the  fruits  of  the  spirit.  The  Church  existed  in  an  empire 
the  most  corrupt  and  abominable  that  the  world  had  ever  seen. 
But  amid  the  grossest  sensuality,  practised  without  remorse  or 
loss  of  character  by  men  i.i  the  highest  ranks,  many  of  her  fruits 
were  holiness  to  the  Lord.  If  she  had  not  the  purity  of  thefirst 
century,  she  had  still  a  self-denial  and  elevation  above  the 
world,  and  a  fortitude  under  suffering,  and  a  spirit  of  subordina- 
tion which  no  where  else  existed  ;  and  a  spirit  of  benevolence 
which  made  the  wondering  heathen  exclaim,  "  Behold  how 
these  Christians  love  one  another."  As  a  proof  of  the  strictness 
of  her  discipline,  it  is  observed,  that  a  clergyman  once  de- 
posed for  immorality,  was  never  restored  to  his  order  ;  and  a 
communicant  once  cast  out  for  his  vices  might  be  restored,  but 
on  a  second  ejection,  could  never  be  admitted  to  the  Church  ; 
though  he  might  not  be  beyond  the  mercy  of  God  and  final  sal- 
vation. Men  spared  no  pains  or  expense  to  obtain  multiplied 
copies  of  the  word  of  God. 

The  sabbath  was  strictly  regarded,  and  the  sacrament  was 
weekly  administered.  This  ordinance,  however,  began  to  be 
misused — being  considered  essential  to  salvation,  and  adminis- 
tered with  pomp,  even  to  infants.  » 

The  fires  of  persecution  raged  ;  the  most  odious  calumnies 
were  invented ;  men,  vile  and  contemptible,  exercised  the  most 
wanton  barbarities,  under  the  ensigns  of  office.  The  Christiana 
were  amazingly  numerous,  and  were  possessed  of  learning, 
wealth  and  talents  ;  many  of  them  were  officers  and  soldiers  in 
the  Roman  armies,  and,  had  they  been  disposed,  might  have 
given  the  government  the  greatest  trouble  and  perhaps  over- 
turned it  completely  ;  yet  no  instance  of  insurrection  or  resist- 
ance to  civil  authority  was  known  among  them,  for  God  had 
said,  "  Vengeance  is  mine."  Their  bitterest  enemies  could 
bring  no  other  charge  of  treason  but  this,  that  they  refused  to 
worship  the  gods  of  Rome. 

Their  benevolence  was  such  as  the  woild  had  not  before  and 
15 


170  tertullian's  apology  Peeiod  III 

has  scarce  since  seen.  They  not  only  gave  of  their  treasures 
to  their  own  poor,  but  they  exerted  themselves  to  relieve  dis- 
tress and  suifering  wherever  they  could  find  it.  The  Jew  pas- 
sed by  the  wounded  Samaritan,  and  the  Greek  harangued  about 
virtue,  but  never  erected  an  hospital  or  an  aims-house.  But  the 
Church  in  Rome,  supported,  at  one  time,  a  thousand  and  fifty 
widows.  Christians  felt  that  they  did  not  deserve  the  appella- 
tion they  bore,  unless  they  spent  their  lives  in  doing  good. 
Whole  and  immense  estates  were  consecrated  to  public  charity. 
Having  renounced  the  luxuries  of  the  world,  they  did  not  need 
great  wealth,  and  they  viewed  their  poor  brethren  as  on  a  level 
with  themselves,  as  sinners,  ransomed  by  the  blood  of  the  Son 
of  God. 

But  their  worth  is  best  shewn  by  a  writer  of  their  own  times. 
"  We  pray,"  saysTertullian  in  his  apology  for  the  Christians, 
''  for  the  safety  of  the  emperors  to  the  eternal  God.     We,  look- 
ing up  to   heaven,  with   outstretched  hands,  because   they  are 
harmless ;    with  naked  head,   because  we    are  not  ashamed  ; 
without  a  prompter,  because  we  pray  from   the  heart  ;    con- 
stantly pray  for  all  emperors,  that  they  may  have  a  long  life,  a 
secure  empire,  a  safe  palace,  strong  armies,  a  faithful  senate,    a 
well  moralized  people,    a  quiet  state  of  the    world  ;    whatever 
Caesar    would  wish    for   himself    in     his   public  or     private 
capacity.     Were  we  disposed  to  act   the  part,  I  will  not  say, 
of  secret   assassins,    but   of  open   enemies,   should  we   want 
forces  and  numbers  ?      Are    there   not   multitudes  of  us   in 
every   part  of  the   world  ?     It   is   true   we  are  but  of  yes^ 
terday,    and  yet  we  have  filled  all  your  towns,    cities,  islands, 
castles,  boroughs,    councils,   camps,  courts,   palaces,   senate, 
forum  : — We  leave   you  only  your  temples.       For  what  war 
should  we  not   be  ready  and  well  prepared,   even  though  une- 
qual in  numbers  ;    we — who  die  with  so  much  pleasure,  were 
it  not  that  our  religion  requires  us  rather  to  suffer  death  than 
inflict  it  i  If  we  were  to  make   a   general  secession  from  your 
dominions,  you  would  be  astonished  at  your  solitude.     We  are 
dead  to  all  ideas  of  worldly  honor  and  dignity  ;  nothing  is  more 
foreign  to  us  than  political  concerns.      The  whole  world  is  our 
republic.     We  are  a  body  united  in  one  bond  of  religion,   dis- 
cipline and  hope.      We   meet   in   our  assemblies   for  prayer. 
Every  one  pays  something     into   the  public   chest,   once    a 
month,   or  when    he  pleases,    and    according  to   his    ability 
and  inclination,  for  there  is  no  compulsion.     These  gifts  are, 
as  it  were,  the  deposits  of  piety.     Hence   we  relieve  and  bury 
the  needy,  support  orphans   and  decrepit  persons  ;    those  who 
have  suffered  shipwreck,  and  those,  who,  for  the  word  of  God , 


ClIAP.  O.  IRENEUS.  171 

are  condemned  to  the  mines  for  imprisonment.  This  very 
charity  of  ours  has  caused  us  to  be  noticed  by  some  : — **  See," 
say  they,  "  how  these  Christians  love  one  another." 

Tertullian  lived  at  Carthage,  the  latter  part  of  the  second 
and  beginning  of  the  third  century.  In  early  life,  he  was  a 
lawyer  ;  but  became  a  presbyter  of  the  church.  He  was  a 
man  of  profound  learning  ;  of  warm  and  vigorous  piety  ;  but 
of  a  temperament  melancholy  and  austere ;  and  unhappily 
adopted,  in  the  close  of  life,  the  visions  of  Montanus.  He  is 
the  first  latin  writer  of  the  church,  whose  works  have  been 
transmitted  to  us. 

About  the  same  period  flourished  Ireneus,  bishop  of  Lyons. 
He  was  a  Greek  by  birth  and  a  disciple  of  Polycarp.  ''  I  can 
describe,"  says  he,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  "  the  very  spot  in 
which  Polycarp  sat  and  expoimded,  and  his  coming  in  and 
going  out,  and  the  very  manner  .of  his  life  and  the  figure  of  his 
body,  and  the  sermons  which  he  preached  to  the  multitude,  and 
how  he  related  to  us  his  converse  with  Jolm  and  with  the  rest 
of  those  who  had  seen  the  Lord  ;  how  he  mentioned  the  partic- 
ular expressions,  and  what  things  he  had  heard  from  them  of  the 
Lord  and  of  his  miracles,  and  of  his  doctrine.  As  Polycarp 
had  received  from  the  eye  witnesses  of  the  word  of  life,  he  told 
us  all  things  agreeably  to  the  Scriptures.  These  things  then, 
through  the  mercy  of  God  inviting  me,  I  heard  with  serious- 
ness ;  I  wrote  them,  not  on  paper,  but  on  my  heart  ;  and  ever 
since,  through  the  grace  of  God,  I  have  a  genuine  remem- 
brance of  them  ;  aud  I  can  witness  before  God,  that  if  that 
blessed  Apostolical  Presbyter  had  heard  some  of  the  doctrines 
which  are  now  maintained,  he  would  have  cried  out  and  stopped 
his  ears,  and,  in  the  usual  manner,  have  said,  '  O  good,  God  to 
what  times  hast  thou  reserved  me,  that  I  should  endure  such 
things.'  And  he  would  immediately  have  fled  from  the  .place 
in  which  he  heard  such  doctrines." 

Ireneus  was  ordained  successor  to  Pothinus,  A.  D.  169,  and 
suffered  martyrdom  under  the  persecution  of  Severus,  in 
the  beginning  of  the  third  century.  He  was  a  man  of  much 
meekness,  humility,  dexterity  and  resolution.  He  had  a  true 
missionary  spirit.  He  was  a  superior  Greek  scholar,  and  doubt- 
less might  have  obtained  the  luxuries  and  pleasures  of  Asia,  but 
these  he  renounced  from  the  love  of  souls.  He  went  among 
the  Gauls,  learned  their  barbarous  dialect  and  conformed  to 
their  plain  and  homely  fare.  He  wrote  five  books  against  the 
heresies  of  the  age,  which  have  been  transmitted  to  us, — pre- 
cious relics  of  antiquity. 


173  ORIGEN'.  Period  III. 

About  the  middle  of  this  century,  two  men  shone  with  dis- 
tinguished brightness.  Origen,  a  presbyter  and  catechist  of 
Alexandria,  and  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage. 

In  his  youth,  Origen  saw  his  father  beheaded,  for  professing 
Christianity,  and  all  the  family  estate  confiscated.  But  provi- 
dence provided  for  him.  A  rich  lady  in  Alexandria  became 
his  friend  and  patron.  He  applied  himself  to  study,  and  soon 
acquired  prodigious  stores  of  learning.  While  pursuing  his 
studies,  he  distinguished  himself  by  his  attachment  to  the  mar- 
tyrs, and  was  often  in  peril  of  his  life.  He  early  became  a 
catechist  in  the  school  at  Alexandria.  Multitudes  crowded  to 
hear  him,  and  were  impressed  by  his  instructions.  His  daily 
habit  was  one  of  excessive  austerity.  Hearing  of  the  power  of 
his  doctrine,  Mammea,  the  mother  of  the  Emperor  sent  for 
him,  to  hear  him.  At  the  age  of  forty-five,  he  was  ordained  a 
priest  and  delivered  theological  lectures  in  Palestine.  In  dili- 
gence and  learning  he  surpassed  all  men.  Of  this,  the  remains 
of  his  Hexapla  is  the  memorial.  To  confront  the  Jews,  who 
always  objected  against  those  passages  of  scripture  which  were 
quoted  against  them,  as  not  agreeing  with  the  Hebrew  version, 
he  undertook  to  reduce  all  the  Latin  and  Greek  versions  then 
in  use,  into  a  body  with  the  Hebrew  text,  that  they  might  be  at 
once  compared.  He  made  six  columns.  In  the  first  he  placed 
the  Hebrew,  as  the  standard,  nd  in  the  next,  the  Septuagint, 
and  then  the  other  versions  according  to  their  dates — passage 
against  passage.  The  whole  filled  50  large  volumes.  It  was 
found  fifty  years  after  his  death,  in  an  obscure  place  in  the  city 
of  Tyre,  and  deposited  in  a  public  library.  The  most  of  it  was 
destroyed  in  the  capture  of  the  city,  A.  D.  653.  It  was  called 
the  Hexapla,  or  work  of  six  columns. 

As  a  theologian,  he  was  ruined  by  the  Platonic  philosophy  : 
and  unhappily  introduced  a  mode  of  explaining  scripture  which 
was  of  incalculable  injury  to  the  Church.  He  supposed  it  was 
not  to  be  explained  in  a  literal,  but  in  an  allegorical  manner  ; 
and  that  the  meaning  of  the  sacred  writers  whs  to  be  sought  in 
a  hidden  sense,  arising  from  the  things  themselves.  This  hid- 
den sense  he  endeavoured  to  give,  and  always  did  it  at  the  ex- 
pense of  truth.  This  hidden  sense  he  further  divided  into  the 
moral  and  mystical.  The  latter  was  of  his  own  creation  and 
very  wild.  He  seems  to  have  been  but  little  acquainted  with 
the  plain,  evangelical  doctrines  of  the  Gospel ;  to  have  adopted 
most  fatal  errors  ;  to  have  given  no  offence  in  his  preaching  to 
men  of  the  world  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  have  been  very  pop- 
ular with  philosophers  and  philologists,  and  men  of  wild  fancies 
■^nd  visionary  notions  ;  and  was  much  honoured    by   courts 


CllAP.    5.  CYPRIAN'.  173 

He  introduced  the  practice  of  selecting  a  single  text  as  the 
subject  of  discourse.  He  suffered  martyrdom  ;  but  no  man  did 
more  to  corrupt  the  simplicity  of  the  Gospel,  and  his  vast  pop- 
ularity gives  us  a  low  idea  of  the  state  of  religion  at  that  peri- 
od. 

Cyprian  was  no  less  great,  but  a  very  different  character. 
He  came  late  in  life  into  the  vineyard  of  Christ,  without  the 
learning  of  Origen,  but  with  great  abilities  and  a  heart  devoted 
to  the  service  of  God.  He  was  slain  by  the  law ;  made  to  feel 
himself  poor  and  wretched  in  the  bonds  of  Paganism  and  to  in- 
quire with  earnestness  for  light  and  salvation.  His  conversion 
was  sudden,  but  effectual,  and  he  entered  deeply  into  all  the 
doctrines  of  grace.  For  twelve  years,  he  was  bishop  of  Car- 
thage, strong  in  Episco[)acy,  and  on  the  subject  of  miracles, 
unhappily  wild.  Thinking  it  his  duty  to  save  life,  he  once 
went  into  retirement  during  the  persecution  of  Decius  ;  but 
was  as  active,  when  hidden  from  the  view  of  his  enemies,  as 
when  in  public.  He  gave  the  Scriptures  a  literal  interpreta- 
tion. He  maintained  strict  discipline  in  the  churches,  and, 
by  his  firmness  and  perseverance,  gained  the  victory  over  a 
most  powerful  party,  who  would  open  wide  the  door  of  pardon 
and  reconciliation,  to  all  the  lapsed.  He  effectually  resisted, 
many  heresies  ;  recovered  many  apostates  ;  and,  through  his 
example  and  influence,  the  north  of  Africa,  now  covered  with 
gross  Mahommedan  darkness,  was,  for  many  years,  as  the  gar- 
den of  God.  He  fell  a  glorious  martyr  to  the  cause  of  truth, 
A.  D.  257,  under  the  persecution  of  Valerian.  He  bound  the 
napkin  over  his  own  eyes.  A  presbyter  and  a  deacon  tied  his 
hands,  and  the  Christians  placed  before  him  handkerchiefs  and 
napkins  to  receive  his  blood.  His  hesd  was  then  severed  from 
his  body  by  a  sword.  His  writings  cannot  fail  to  be  read  with 
pleasure  and  profit. 

A  letter  of  his  claims  a  place  in  ecclesiastical  histor^/  as 
throwing  some  light  on  a  much  disputed  subject.  A  council  of 
sixty-six  bishops  was  held  in  Africa,  over  which  Cyprian  presi- 
ded, for  regulating  the  internal  affairs  of  the  churches.  A 
question  came  before  them  whether  infants  should  be  baptized 
immediately  after  their  birth,  or  on  the  eighth  day.  In  a  letter 
to  Fidus,  Cyprian  says,  "  As  to  the  case  of  infants,  of  wiiO% 
you  said  that  they  ought  not  to  be  baptized  within  the  second 
or  third  day  of  their  birth,  and  that  the  ancient  law  of  circum- 
cision should  be  so  far  adhered  to,  that  they  ought  not  to  be 
baptized  till  the  eighth  day,  we  were  all  of  a  very  different 
opinion.  We  all  judged  that  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God 
should  be  denied  to  none.     Our  sentence,   therefore,   dearest 

15* 


174  NOVATIANS.   MANICHEANS.  PERIOD  III. 

brother,  in  the  council  was,  that  none,  by  us,  should  be  prohib- 
ited from  baptism  and  the  grace  of  God,  who  is  merciful  and 
kind  to  all."  While  it  is  melancholy  to  see  Christians  so  early 
connecting  the  grace  of  God  with  baptism,  it  is  worthy  of  re- 
mark,  that  in  the  year  253,  it  was  a  question  before  66  faithful 
ministers,  not  whether  infants  were  the  proper  subjects  of  bap- 
tism, but  whether  they  should  be  baptized  immediately  after 
their  birth,  or  according  to  the  custom  of  circumcision,  on  the 
eighth  day. 

Two  other  men,  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,  bishop  of  Neocesa- 
re  a,  and  Firmilian,  bishop  of  Cappadocia,  pupils  of  the  famous 
Origen,  were  distinguished  lights  of  that  period,  though  they 
'•vere  much  injured  by  the  Eclectic  philosophy.  The  miracles 
ascribed  to  Gregory  by  subsequent  historians,  deserve  no  cred- 
it. Many  others  have  left  able  controversial  writings.  Indeed 
the  defenders  of  Christianity  were  a  mighty  host. 

In  this  century,  a  large  body  of  Christians  dissented  from  the 
main  Church,  under  Novatian,  a  priest  of  Rome ;  and  a  man 
of  genius,  learning  and  eloquence,  and  of  unimpeachable  mor- 
al character  ;  maintaining  that  the  Church  of  Christ,  ought  to 
be  pure,  and  that  a  member,  who  had  fallen  into  any  offence, 
should  never  be  re-admitted  to  communion.  They  obliged  such 
as  came  to  their  party  to  be  rebaptized.  They  were  called  No- 
vatians,  and  seem  to  have  walked  closely  with  God. 

In  this  century  also,  a  number  of  new  sects,  the  Sabellians, 
Noetians,  and  others  arose,  denying  the  proper  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,  and  having  each  some  peculiarity  relating  to  the  char- 
acter of  Christ.  Paul  of  Samosata  advocated  the  same  cause 
with  the  modern  Socinians. 

A  most  odious  and  violent  sect  was  that  of  the  Manicheans. 
It  can  hardly  be  called  Christian.  It  was  a  motley  mixture  of 
Christianity  with  the  old  Magianism  of  Persia.  Its  founder, 
Manes,  pretended  that  he  was  the  Paraclete  or  comforter  who 
came  to  perfect  the  Gospel.  His  fundamental  principle  was, 
that  there  were  two  original  independent  principles,  one  imma- 
terial and  supremely  .good ;  the  other  material  and  the  source  of 
all  evil,  but  actuated  by  an  intelligence.  He  rejected,  as  false, 
the  Old  Testament  and  most  of  the  New  ;  and  imposed  great 
severities  upon  his  followers.  The  Manicheans  were  headed 
by  a  President  who  represented  Jesus  Christ.  They  were  a 
monstrous  sect,  and  shew  to  what  excesses  the  religious  world 
were  tending. 

The  heathen  philosophers  relaxed  in  this  age  none  of  their 
former  zeal  against  Christianity,  and  lost  nony  of  their  bitter- 
ness    They  were  headed  by  one  Porphyry,  a  Syrian,  a  writer 


Chap.  5.  great  religious  declension.  175 

of  much  genius  and  cunning  ; — but  more  virulent  than  formi- 
dable. His  captious  reasonings  against  the  book  of  Daniel, 
have  been  mentioned  in  a  former  part  of  this  work.  These 
philosophers  wrought  much  mischief  by  drawing  comparisons 
between  Christ  and  the  sages  of  antiquity.  Thus  persuading 
many  that  there  v\*as  no  essential  difference  between  philosophy, 
and  Christianity,  and  that  Jesus  was  only  one  of  the  same  or- 
der with  Socrates  and  Plato,  they  brought  them  to  feel  that  they 
could  esteem  both,  and  that  it  was  not  inconsistent  with  Chris- 
tianity to  remain  in  the  religion  of  their  ancestors.  But  w  hile 
they  and  their  cause  have  passed  away,  and  the  Lord  has  had 
them  in  derision,  their  attacks  furnish  strong  evidence  o  the 
virtues  and  graces  of  the  Christians. 

The  Church  of  Christ  sustained  its  high  and  holy  character, 
but  a  little  period  after  the  age  of  the  Apostles.  It  however 
remained  very  reputable,  until  after  the  middle  of  the  third 
century.  From  that  period  it  was  not  the  spiritual  edifice  it 
had  been. 

Cyprian  says,  that  even  before  the  Decian  persecution, '  long 
peace  had  corrupted  the  discipline.  Each  had  been  bent  on 
improving  his  patrimony  and  had  forgotten  what  believers  had 
done  under  the  Apostles,  and  what  they  ought  ahvays  to  do. — > 
They  were  brooding  over  the  arts  of  amassing  wealth.  The 
pastors  and  deacons  each  forgot  their  duty.  Works  of  mercy 
were  neglected,  and  discipline  was  at  its  lowest  ebb.  Luxury 
and  effeminacy  prevailed.  Meretricious  arts  in  dress  were  cul- 
tivated. Fraud  and  deceit  were  practised  among  brethren. — 
Christians  could  unite  themselves  in  matrimony  with  unbeliev- 
ers ;  could  swear  not  only  without  reverence,  but  without  ve- 
racity. Even  bishops  deserted  their  places  of  residence  and 
their  flocks.  They  travelled  through  distant  provinces  in  quest 
of  pleasure  and  gain,  gave  no  assistance  to  the  needy  brethren 
at  home,  but  were  insatiable  in  their  thirst  for  money.  They 
possessed  estates  by  fraud  and  multiplied  usury.  What  have 
we  not  deserved  to  suffer  for  such  conduct  ?" 

One  cause  of  the  early  declension  of  knowledge  and  piety 
in  the  Church,  doubtless  was  the  neglect  of  education  for  the 
sacred  ministry.  Theological  seminaries  were  unknown,  and 
what  knowledge  candidates  for  the  pastoral  office  gained,  was 
acquired  from  intercourse  with  learned  bishops  and  pastors.  At 
Alexandria  indeed  was  a  famous  school  under  Pantaenus,  Ori- 
gen  and  Cyril,  where  Theology  to  some  extent,  but  of  a  very 
imperfect  character  was  taught,  but  we  search  the  records  of 
the  first  eight  centuries  in  vain,  for  any  proper  Theological  sem- 
inaries. 


176  TERRIBLE  PERSECUTION  PeRIOD   lit 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  third  century,  the  Church  had  a  long 
period  of  rest,  and  then  indeed  a  great  and  general  declension 
took  place  in  doctrine  and  practice  ;  and  it  is  with  difficulty 
that  we  can  find  for  centuries,  many  of  the  genuine  fruits  of 
the  Spirit.  Still  she  had  become  embodied  and  from  many 
causes  operating  powerfully  on  the  hopes  and  fears,  the  lusts 
and  passions  of  men,  she  became  a  gigantic  power  in  the  earth. 
But  forsaking  God,  she  was  given  once  more  to  the  spoiler. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century,  she  passed  through 
a  furnace  seven  times  heated.  For  eight  years  a  persecution 
raged,  which  spared  neither  age  nor  sex,  in  any  part  of  the 
Roman  world  ;  which  was  unparalleled  for  its  tortures  and 
horrors  ;  and  which,  to  all  human  appearance,  would  root 
Christianity  from  the  earth.  Satan  came  down  in  great  wrath. 
It  seemed  his  last  and  most  vigorous  effort  to  save  his  cause. — 
The  Church,  lukewarm,  engrossed  wit^  the  world,  and  dis- 
tracted with  divisions  and  heresies,  was  not  prepared  to  meet  it, 
yet  she  stood  the  shock  with  amazing  heroism.  Some  suppose 
that  it  was  in  the  days  of  this  persecution,  that  John  ''saw  un- 
der the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of 
God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held.  And  they  cried 
with  a  loud  voice  saying,  how  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true, 
dost  thou  not  judge  and  revenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth." 

Dioclesian  was  at  this  time  clothed  with  the  imperial  purple. 
He  had  an  associate,  Maximian,  and  under  him  two  Caesars, 
Galerius  and  Constantius.  Of  these,  Galerius  was  the  most 
savage,  and  did  most  to  instigate  Dioclesian,  who  was  himself 
averse  to  bloodshed,  to  the  most  cruel  extremities.  The  perse- 
cution began  at  the  feast  of  the  Terminalia,  in  Nicodemia,.  A.  D. 
302,  by  pulling  down  all  the  churches  of  the  Christians, 
burning  their  sacred  books  and  writings,  taking  from  them  their 
civil  rights  and  privileges,  and  rendering  them  incapable  of  any 
civil  promotion.  Soon  after,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  royal  pal- 
ace. The  Christians  were  accused  as  the  incendiaries  and 
numbers  were  put  to  torture.  Some  tumults  also  arose  in  Ar- 
menia, and  in  Syria,  which  were  by  the  heathen  Priests,  charg- 
ed upon  them.  The  clergy  were  cast  into  prison,  and  given  up 
to  the  most  insupportable  punishments,  the  rulers  hoping  that 
if  the  pastors  renounced  Christianity  the  people  would  follow 
them.  Vast  numbers  of  learned  and  excellent  men  fell  a  prey 
to  this  stratagem.  In  the  year  304,  a  new  edict  was  published 
in  which  the  magistrates,  throughout  the  Roman  empire,  were 
directed  to  compel  all  Christians,  without  distinction  of  rank 
or^ex  to  renounce  Christianity  and  sacrifice  to  the  gods,  end 


Chap.  5.  under  dioclesiax.  177 

were  authorized  to  employ  the  most  cruel  torments  in  their 
work.  The  Church  was  now  reduced  to  the  last  extremity  ; 
for  the  magistrates  were  like  so  many  hungry  tigers,  let  loose 
upon  defenceless  lambs.  In  France,  less  ferocity  was  exhibit- 
ed than  in  other  places,  through  the  influence  of  Constantius, 
who  was  favourably  inclined  to  the  Christians. 

A  recital  of  their  sufferings  may  appear  to  many  almost  in- 
credible, but  it  is  delivered  to  us  Ijy  faithful  eye  witnesses  and 
confirmed  by  Pagan  historians.  It  should  make  us  grateful  to 
God  for  the  blessings  we  enjoy. 

Some  were  thrown  to  wild  beasts,  enclosed  in  vast  amphithe- 
atres for  the  entertainment  of  the  people  on  great  festal  days, 
and  instantly  torn  to  pieces  and  devoured.  Others,  with  their 
wives  and  children,  were  burned  to  death  in  their  own  houses. 
Some  were  beaten  with  clubs,  rods,  thongs  of  leather  and  ropes. 
Nails  were  driven  into  their  sides,  bellies,  legs  and  cheeks. 
Some  were  suspended  by  one  hand  to  a  portico,  suffering  the 
most  severe  distension  of  all  their  joints.  Others  were  bound 
to  pillars,  face  to  face,  their  feet  being  raised  above  ground. 
They  were  hung  about  wooden  engines,  having  every  limb  of 
their  bodies  distended  by  certain  machines.  Plates  of  heated 
brass  were  applied  to  their  bodies.  They  were  seated  in  red 
hot  iron  chairs.  They  were  slain  by  the  axe  and  the  sword* 
They  were  suspended  by  their  feet,  with  their  head  downward, 
over  a  slow  fire.  Sharp  reeds  were  thrust  under  the  nails  into 
tlie  fingers.  Melted  lead  was  poured  down  the  backs,  and  into 
the  bowels.  Tongues  were  cut  out.  Multitudes  were  deprived 
of  one  eye,  and  cauterized  and  debilitated  in  one  leg  by  an  hot 
iron,  and  sent  to  the  mines.  Seventeen  thousand,  it  is  said, 
were  slain  during  one  month.  In  Egypt  alone  150,000  suffered 
martyrdom  by  the  hands  of  their  persecutors,  besides  700,000 
who  came  to  their  end  in  banishment  or  the  public  works, 

"•  From  torturing-  pains  to  endless  joys, 
On  fiery  wlieels  they  rode." 

The  Pagans,  at  length,  thought  they  had  accomplished  their 
object.  A  medal  was  struck  for  Dioclesian,  withj  this  inscrip- 
tion, "Nomine  Christianorum  deleto."  "The  name  of  Chris- 
tians being  extinguished."  The  Pagan  worship  was  every 
where  set  up  in  great  splendour.  It  was  the  darkest  period 
which  the  Christian  Church  had  seen.  But  He  who  had  es- 
tablished her,  had  promised  that  the  gates  of  hell  should  never 
prevail  against  her,  A  remnant  remained  who  wrestled  with 
the  angel  of  the  covenant  and  prevailed.  The  time  of  their  de- 
liverance was  at  hand.  The  arm  of  Jehovah  was  uplifted,  and 
Satan  fell  as  lightning  from  heaven. 


178  ESTABLISIIIVIENT  OF   CHRISTIANITY  PeUIOD    III. 

In  the  year  312,  the  Emperor  Dioclesian  died.  His  succes- 
sor Maximin  Galerius,  who  had  been  the  author  of  the  heavi- 
est persecution,  also  soon  came  to  his  end.  He  was  horrid  in 
death.  In  frantic  agony,  he  cried  out  "  It  was  not  I,  but  others 
who  did  it."  In  the  West,  Constantius  Clorus  died  in  Britain 
A.  D.  306.  He  had  renounced  idolatry,  was  a  man  of  strict 
morals,  and  had  favoured  the  Christians.  The  army  forced 
Constantine,  his  son,  to  accept  the  purple.  At  the  same  time, 
Maxentius,  son-in-law  toGalerius,  assumed  the  imperial  dignity 
at  Rome.  A  civil  war  ensued.  In  marching  to  battle,  Con- 
stantine felt  the  need  of  some  divine  assistance.  He  had  seen 
his  father  reject  Polytheism,  and  treat  with  kindness  the  Chris- 
tians. He  felt  anxious  to  know  their  God.  Historians  report 
that  he  prayed  for  light,  and  that  while  marching  v/ith  his  for- 
ces, a  miraculous  cross  appeared  to  him  in  tlie  air,  with  the  in- 
scription, "  Conquer  by  this  ;" — that  the  same  night,  Christ 
appeared  to  him  in  his  sleep  with  the  same  sign  of  the  cross, 
and  directed  him  to  make  it  his  military  ensign.  Such  a  re- 
port must  have  had  great  effect  upon  his  enemies.  True  it 
might  have  been.  Greater  miracles  have  been  wrought.  But 
the  age  of  miracles  had  passed  away.  The  chief  design  of  mir- 
acles, which  was  to  support  revelation,  had  long  before  been  ac- 
complished. Nor  was  Constantine  a  favourite  of  heaven.  A 
dream  he  probably  had  ;  and  from  that  time  the  Emperor  became 
the  open  advocate  of  Christianity,  and  the  banner  of  the  cross 
was  displayed  in  his  armies.  Over  all  his  enemies  he  was 
conqueror,  and  for  many  years  was  sole  master  of  Rome.  In 
the  year  324,  he  published  edicts  and  laws,  by  which  the  an- 
cient religion  of  the  Romans  was  abolished,  and  Christianity 
was  established  as  the  religion  of  the  empire. 

This  great  and  astonishing  revolution  in  the  religious  world, 
great  as  it  was  unexpected  to  those  who,  a  few  years  before, 
saw  Christianity  almost  extinct  amid  the  flames  of  persecution, 
appears  to  have  been  clearly  predicted  by  John,  in  the  open- 
ing of  the  sixth  seal.  Then,  indeed,  the  idolatrous  heaven,  fil- 
led with  Jupiter  and  a  thousand  deities,  ''  departed  as  a  scroll 
when  it  is  rolled  together,  and  every  mountain  and  island  were 
moved  out  of  their  places." 

That  gigantic  power  which  had  hitherto  been  employed  to 
crush  Christianity,  and  which  would  ages  before  have  driven 
every  vestige  of  it  from  among  men,  had  not  God  been  its  help- 
er, was  now  engaged  to  demolish  the  kingdom  of  darkness,  and 
to  exalt  Christ  in  the  earth.  The  heathen  temples  were  puU 
led  down  ;  images  of  gold  and  silver  were  melted  and  coined  in- 
to money  ;  great  idols,  curiously  wrought,  were  brought  to  Con- 


Chap.  5.         throughout  the  roman  empire.  1*^ 

stantinople  and  drawn  with  ropes  through  the  principal  streets 
for  the  scorn  of  the  people.  The  heathen  priests  were  cast 
out,  dispersed  and  banished.  Every  place  of  power  and  trust  in 
the  state  and  army,  which  had  before  been  filled  by  heathen, 
was  now  occupied  i  »y  the  professed  followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Immense  and  splendid  Christian  temples  were  every 
where  erected  and  richly  endowed  ;  and  the  greatest  honour 
was  put  upon  all  preachers  of  the  Gospel.  Constantino  put  an 
end  to  pagan  rites  ;  to  sorcery  and  divination,  those  great  sup- 
ports of  false  religion  ;  publicly  exposed  the  mysteries  which  had 
been  kept  secret  ;  stopped  the  savage  fights  of  gladiators  ;  or- 
dered the  strict  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  ;  furnished  the 
churches  with  copies  of  the  sacred  scriptures;  stood  up  with 
respectful  silence  to  hear  the  gospel  from  Eusebius  of  Cesarea  ; 
dedicated  Christian  temples  himself  with  great  solemnity  ; 
yea,  made  Christian  orations;  one  of  which,  of  considerable 
length,  is  preserved  to  us  ;  and  taught  all  the  soldiers  of  his  ar- 
my, to  pray  to  the  God  of  the  Christians. 

The  religious  sincerity  of  the  man,  who,  in  a  short  period,  ef* 
fected  such  amazing  changes  in  the  religious  world,  is  best 
known  to  Him  who  searches  the  heart.  Certain  it  is,  that  hid 
subsequent  life  furnished  no  evidence  of  conversion  to  God.  He 
waded  without  remorse  through  seas  of  blood,  and  was  a  most 
tyrannical  prince.  If  it  be  asked.  Why  he  so  patronised  Chris-- 
tians  ?  The  answer  may  be  found  in  the  state  of  the  world.  Pa- 
ganism had  nearly  expired.  Christianity  had  gained  deep  root 
in  the  earth,  and  how  could  he  with  the  least  worldly  policy  do 
otherwise  than  he  did,  especially  as  all  his  opposers  were  th6 
supporters  of  Paganism  ? 

But  with  him,  we  have  but  little  concern.  The  work  was 
the  Lord's.  He  was  indeed  the  distinguished  instrument  of  ef* 
fecting  it.  Happy  for  him,  if  he  had  a  saving  interest  in  thafe 
Redeemer,  whose  cause  he  so  illustriously  upheld.  But  every 
circumstance  shews  the  mighty  power  of  God.  That  little  sect, 
which  three  centuries  before,  sprang  up  in  Judea,  and  seemed 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  too  contemptible  for  notice,  now  filled 
the  earth  with  its  glories.  That  little  seed  which  was  then 
planted,  had  sprang  up  and  become  a  great  tree,  under  whose 
branches  the  nations  reposed  for  comfort.  The  success  was  in 
strict  accordance  with  prophecy,  and  proved  to  the  nations  that 
it  was  the  Lord  God  that  had  set  up  his  kingdom  on  the  ruins 
of  the  kingdom  of  Satan,  and  would  ultimately  triumph  from 
the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

The  joy  felt  by  Christians  throughout  the  Roman  empire,  at 
this  unexpected  revolution,  was  beyond  the  power  of  language 


IQQ  DECLINE    OF   PAGANISM,  PeRIOD    III. 

to  express.  They  had  hitherto  been  only  suflered  to  live.  Few 
privileges  were  theirs.  Few  enjoyments  but  those  which  sprang 
from  communion  with  God  ; — while  they  were  often  obliged  to 
hide  in  the  rocks  and  caves  of  the  earth,  from  whence  they  were 
dragged  forth  to  suffer  the  most  cruel  deaths.  Could  the  truly  pi- 
ous among  them  have  looked  forward  to  the  issue,  and  seen  all 
this  worldly  magnificence  operating  as  poison  to  the  very  vitals  of 
the  Church,  they  would  have  lamented  the  change,  and  preferred 
the  endurance  of  further  trials  ;  but  all  were  impressed  with  the 
belief,  that  now  Christ  was  coming  to  take  to  himself  the  kingdom, 
and  the  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the 
whole  heaven.  The  worldly-minded  among  them,  saw  every  thing 
in  the  change  to  gratify  their  pride  and  ambition  ;  rushed  witli 
avidity  into  all  places  of  power  and  dominion,  and  hailed  Con- 
stantine  as  the  greatest  of  human  benefactors. 

At  the  change,  Satan  gnawed  his  tongue  for  pain.  The  hea- 
then priests  and  vast  crowds  of  subordinate  officers,  who  had 
gained  their  subsistence  in  the  idol  worship,  saw  their  darling 
gods  trampled  in  the  dust  ;  their  own  consequence  at  an  end, 
and  their  means  of  support  entirely  cut  off.  Great  multitudes, 
indeed,  were  mere  warriors  and  courtiers  who  Were  attached  to 
the  heathen  superstition  because  it  was  the  religion  of  the  state, 
and  were  zealous  in  it  because  zeal  gained  them  promotion. 
Such,  readily  renounced  it  and  became  Christians,  when  they 
saw  their  Emperor  fighting  successfully  under  the  banner  of  the 
cross.  Others,  more  intelligent  and  reflecting,  had  long,  in 
their  hearts,  despised  the  whole  system  of  idol  worship,  wliile 
they  had  prostrated  themselves  with  apparently  the  profoundest 
reverence.  Such  rejoiced  to  see  the  establishment  of  ages 
overturned,  though  they  knew  not  what  would  arise  in  its  stead. 
But  others,  some  from  interest,  and.  some  from  sincere  attach- 
ment,  struggled  vehemently  for  the  expiring  cause.  They  be- 
held with  indignation  and  grief  the  destruction  of  their  tem- 
ples and  gods.  They  aspersed  the  Emperor  in  the  foulest  lan- 
guage, and  predicted  the  greatest  calamities  to  his  family  and 
kingdom.  They  were  never  again  able  to  persecute  the  Chris- 
tians as  they  had  done,  but  they  occasionally  rallied,  and  grew 
terrible  for  a  season,  until  at  length,  through  the  excellency  of 
Christianity  and  the  power  of  the  state,  and  the  contempt  into 
which  their  own  gods  and  rites  had  sunk,  they  dwindled  away 
and  were  found  no  more. 


Chap.  G.  resclts  of  the  iievolution.  181 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Result  of  the  revolution  under  Consiantine.  Ilise  of  Arianisvt. 
Conntil  of  Nice.  Death  jf  Constanfine.  Succeeding  Em- 
perors. Julian's  attempt  to  restore  Paganism.  His  defeat 
in  rebuilding  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  Persecutions  in  Per' 
.-iia.  Eusebius.  Basil.  Chrysostnm.  Jerome.  Augustine. 
Pelagianism.  Civil  revolution  in  Europe.  Daniel's  vision 
of  the  ten  horns.  Conversion  of  the  barbarous  nations. 
Pranks.  Irish.  Britons.  Progress  of  error  and  super^ 
stition  in  the  5th  and  Gth  century. 

The  revolution  under  Constantine  was  one  from  which  al- 
most every  thing,  which  the  Christian  vahies,  might  be  ho- 
ped ;  but,  alas  !  such  is  the  depravity  of  human  nature, 
it  was  one  in  which  almost  every  thing  of  evangelical  worth  was 
lost.  Constantine  brought  the  world  into  the  Church,  and  the 
Church  was  paralyzed.  The  number  of  nominal  Christians 
was  indeed  increased,  a  thousand  fold.  A  new  spring  was  giv- 
en to  missionary  effort ;  and,  in  this  century,  a  number  of  bar- 
barous tribes,  among  the  Armenians,  the  Ethiopians,  the  Geor- 
gians, the  Goths  and  the  Gauls,  were  partially  enlightened  by 
the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The  work  of  translating  and  circula*' 
ting  the  Holy  Scriptures  also  received  great  encouragement  ; 
though,  for  the  former,  few  had  learning  and  industry  suffi- 
cient. The  latin  version  of  Jerome,  though  far  from  being 
correct,  stands  pre-eminent  over  all  others  that  were  made. 
Schools  were  established  and  libraries  were  formed  for  Chris* 
tian  youth  ;  and  the  study  of  philosophy  and  the  liberal  arts 
was  encouraged,  that  Christianity  might  not  sufl'er  by  a  com- 
parison of  her  advocates  with  the  erudition  and  skill  of  the  sa- 
ges of  paganism.  Immense  and  splendid  temples  were  erect- 
ed and  richly  endowed  ;  and  a  great  priesthood  was  regularly 
organized  and  liberally  supported.  The  body  existed,  but  the 
spirit  had  fled.  Constantine  set  up  an  immense  national 
Church  ;  but  the  humility  and  faith  and  spirituality  of  the  age 
of  Polycarp  had  passed  away.  Constantine  did  not  find  it  in 
the  Church  which  he  thus  raised  to  worldly  glory  ;  and  how 
could  he  create  it  there  by  those  very  means  which  always  de- 
stroy vital  piety  ? 

Among  the  more  retired,  in  the  humble  walks  of  life,  there 
was,  no  doubt,  much  true  religion.  There  must  have  been 
much  to  support  the  sufferers  through  the  Dioclesian  persecu- 
tion. Many  of  these  sufferers  with  their  children,  were  humble 
followers  of  Christ  for  many  years.     Some  of  the  ministers  were 

16 


182    THE  WORLD  BROUGHT  INTO  THE  CHURCIf.  PeRIOD  III. 

worthy  of  a  better  age.  But  the  most  of  those  who  were  exalt- 
ed to  places  of  power  and  trust,  were  engaged  in  pompous  rites 
and  ceremonies,  and  knew  but  little  of  the  humiliating  and 
sanctifying  doctrines  of  Christianity.  Indeed,  their  elevation 
to  wealth  and  power  was  followed  by  an  amazing  increase  of 
luxury  and  vice.  Bishops  contended  with  bishops  about  the  ex- 
tent of  their  jurisdictions  ;  vied  with  princes  in  their  style  of  liv- 
ing, and  shewed  that  they  placed  their  heaven  upon  earth. 
Having  such  spiritual  guides,  the  mass  of  the  people  soon  be- 
came exceedingly  corrupt.  Shoals  of  profligate  men,  allured  l)y 
gain  or  driven  by  fear,  pressed  into  the  Church ;  discipline 
ceased,  and  superstition  reigned  without  control.  The  Gentile 
converts  to  nominal  Christianity,  brought  into  the  Church  a 
taste  for  the  public  processions  and  prayers,  by  which  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  appease  their  gods  ;  hastily  transferred  the 
virtues  which  had  been  supposed  to  belong  to  their  temples  and 
their  ablutions  to  Christian  churches  and  Christian  ordinances  ; 
and  were  at  once  disposed  to  deify  the  apostles  and  early  Chris- 
tians, as  they  had  been  accustomed  to  do  the  heroes  of  anti- 
quity. The  old  Christians  found  themselves  associated  with  a 
new  world  of  admirers,  who  knew  nothing  about  their  religion, 
and  who  were  easily  subjected  to  the  most  abominable  imposi- 
tions. Prodigies  and  miracles,  therefore,  beyond  number  were 
multiplied.  The  bones  and  relics  of  dead  saints  performed 
wonders.  Dust  and  earth,  brought  from  Palestine,  was  viewed 
as  a  certain  and  powerful  remedy  against  the  violence  of  wick- 
ed spirits.  And,  before  the  close  of  the  century,  the  great  busi- 
ness of  the  lower  order  of  priests  was  to  impose,  in  ten  thousand 
ways,  in  the  vilest  manner,  upon  the  credulity  of  the  ignorant 
multitude. 

The  erection  of  splendid  temples,  and  introduction  of  a 
splendid  worship,  gave  rise  also  to  a  vast  variety  of  additional 
rites  a;id  ceremonies.  These,  in  general,  were  copied  from 
the  heathen  worship,  and  such  was  the  amalgamation  of  the  two 
relio-ions,  as  to  differ  very  little  in  their  external  appearance. 
Gorgeous  robes,  mitres,  tiaras,  wax  tapers,  crosiers,  process- 
ions, lustrations,  images,  gold  and  silver  vases  are  mentioned,  as 
common  to  both  Christian  and  heathen  churches.  What  de- 
plorable degeneracy  from  the  simple  worship  of  the  Apostles  ! 

The  great  festivals  were  five  in  number  ; — commemorating 
the  birth,  death,  resurrection  and  ascension  of  Christ,  and  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  but  were  rather  days  of  public  licentiousness 
than  of  pious  exercises.  Fasts  were  greatly  multiplied,  under 
the  idea  that  they  repelled  evil  spirits. 

From  being  the  outpourings  of  a  broken  heart  and  a  contrite 


Chap.  6.  rise  of  arianism,  18^ 

spirit,  the  public  prayers  degenerated  into  vain  bombast  ;  and 
in  consequence  of  an  intimate  connexion  with  the  Grecian 
schools,  the  sermons  of  tlie  divines  partook  of  the  nature  of  an 
oration,  and  were  clapped  and  applauded,  as  were  orators  in  the 
forum,  by  the  Christian  assemblies. 

Two  principles  were  introduced  into  the  Church  which  help- 
ed her  on  in  her  downward  course,  and  led  brother  to  imbrue 
his  hands  in  brother's  blood  ;  and  this  too,  thinking  that  he  did 
God  service.  The  first  was,  "  That  it  is  an  act  of  virtue  to 
deceive  und  lie,  when,  by  that  means,  the  interests  of  the  Church 
may  be  promoted  ;" — the  other,  that  "  Errors  in  religion,  when 
maintained  and  adhered  to,  after  proper  admonition,  are  pun- 
ishable with  civil  penalties  and  corporeal  tortures.'^  Strange 
that  men,  who  professed  to  serve  an  holy  master,  and  to  be  look- 
ing toward  an  holy  heaven,  should  so  soon  set  at  defiance  the 
solemn  denunciations  of  Christ,  against  the  fearful,  the  unbe- 
lieving, the  abominable,  and  all  liars  ;  and,  that,  with  scorched 
flesh  and  broken  limbs,  they  should  kindle  the  fires  of  persecu- 
tion against  tlieir  own  companions  ! 

In  such  a  degenerate  period,  it  could  not  be  expected  that  the 
fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  should  remain  uncorrupt. 
They  had  before  lost  much  of  their  influence  over  the  minds  of 
men  ;  but  until  this  time,  they  had  remained  entire  in  most  of 
the  churches.  A  number  of  violent  dissensions  had  arisen  on 
account  of  discipline  ;  and  sentiments,  extremely  erroneous, 
had  been  formed  and  advocated  by  a  few  powerful  minds  ;  but 
liitherto,  no  large  churches  had  been  seen  to  deny  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  and  to  build  their  hopes  of  salvation  on  a  dif- 
ferent faith  from  that  which  had  been  generally  received  as  the 
faith  of  the  primitive  churches. 

Two  parties,  the  Donatists  and  the  Meletians,  were  formed  in 
Africa  about  the  commencement  of  the  fourth  century,  by  con- 
tentions about  power  and  place,  which  for  a  long  time  were  per- 
secuted and  oppressed  as  dangerous  schismatics  ;  but  it  does 
not  appear  that  they  adopted  any  corrupt  sentiments.  Among 
Them  probably  was  much  true  piety. 

But  there  was  at  this  time  a  great  departure  from  the  ancient 
faith  relating  to  the  divinity  of  the  Saviour. 

As  early  as  the  days  of  John,  there  were  those  who  denied 
the  divinity  of  Christ  ;  and,  in  every  succeeding  period,  there 
were  ingenious  minds,  fond  of  giving  some  new  explanation  of 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  which  should  free  it  from  its  inhe- 
rent mystery ;  but  none  had  made  much  impression  on  the 
churches. 

In  the  church  of  Alexandria,   was  a  presbyter  named  Ariiis  ; 


(84  COUNCIL    OP   NICE.  pERIOD    IIL 

a  man,  venerable  in  his  appearance,  severe  in  his  habits,  monas- 
tic in  his  dress  ;  a  subtle  logician  and  a  commanding  orator. 
This  man  openly  maintained,  that  the  Son  was  essentially  and 
totally  distinct  from  the  Father  ;  that  there  was  a  time  when  he 
was  not ;  that  he  was  the  first  and  noblest  of  all  created  beings; 
was  a  mutable  creature,  and  capable,  as  men  are,  both  of  sin 
and  holiness.  He  preached  continually  to  a  crowded  audience, 
and  presented  his  doctrine  to  every  one  with  whom  he  asso- 
ciated in  private. 

He  soon  gained  many  proselytes,  both  among  the  common 
people  and  men  of  rank  and  influence.  Alexander,  his  bish- 
op, assembled  two  councils,  the  last  contained  an  hundred  min- 
isters, which  condemned  his  opinions  and  excluded  him  from 
the  fellowship  of  the  Church. 

Spiritual  war  was  now  proclaimed,  which  soon  terribly  raged 
throughout  the  Christian  world.  Arius  retired  into  Palestine, 
and  opened  a  correspondence  with  many  eminent  men,  whom 
he  endeavoured  to  bring  over  to  his  faith.  Among  his  warmest 
admirers  and  greatest  supporters,  was  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia, 
the  metropolis,  where  the  Emperor  usually  resided.  Constan- 
tino beheld  the  breach  with  grief.  He  wished  to  have  one  great, 
harmonious,  splendid,  religious  empire.  He  wrote  to  the  two 
parties  and  exhorted  them  to  peace.  But  it  was  in  vain.  He 
then  called  an  immense  council  of  318  bishops  from  all  parts 
of  Christendom,  to  meet  at  Nice,  in  Bithynia.  They  were  con- 
vened in  the  year  325  and  supported  solely  at  his  expense. 
Such  a  council  had  never  before  been  witnessed.  It  was  the  first 
general  council.  The  Emperor  himself  came  in  to  it,  threw 
their  mutual  accusations  into  the  fire  and  exhorted  them  to 
peace.  This  being  in  vain,  the  doctrine  of  Arius  was  canvass- 
ed and  condemned.  He  was  deposed,  excommunicated,  and 
ibrbidden  to  enter  Alexandria. 

Such  is  the  fact  which  the  records  of  ecclesiastical  history 
present  us — That,  in  the  year  325,  a  denial  of  the  real  divinity 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  was  considered,  by  almost  all  the 
Christian  Church,  a  deadly  heresy.  If  Unitarianism  was  the 
faith  of  the  Apostles  and  early  Christians,  when  was  their  faith 
supplanted  ?  Why  have  we  no  record  of  the  change  ?  Why  was 
not  the  change,  which  must  have  been  well  known  at  this  peri- 
od, appealed  to  by  Arius  in  his  defence?  Pliny  says,  in  his 
day,  the  Christians  worshipped  Christ  as  God.  Those  who  did 
this,  were  slain  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus.  Those  who  denied 
his  divinity,  were  not  persecuted  by  the  Pagans. 

In  this  council,  a  creed  was  adopted  called  the  Nicene  creed. 
The  dispute  concerning  Easter  was  finally  adjusted.     The  oi> 


Chap.  6.  aHius  deposed.  185 

(lination  of  new  converts  was  forbidden  ; — also  the  translation 
of  bisliops,  priests  and  deacons  from  one  city  to  another.  The 
IMeletian  controversy,  for  a  time  was  settled.  The  Novatians 
were  invited  to  return  to  the  bosom  of  the  Church,  as  they  held 
nothing  at  variance  with  the  fundamental  doctrines.  Attempts 
were  made  to  put  upon  the  clergy  the  yoke  of  perpetual  celiba- 
cy, but  did  not  succeed. 

Something  of  the  fear  of  God,  and  a  spirit  of  discipline  was 
tlierefore  existing.  And  how  could  it  be  otherwise  1  It  was  a 
council  of  martyrs.  Many  of  tJiem  had  passed  through  the 
fires  of  persecution,  and  bore  on  their  bodies  the  marks  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  One  appeared  debilitated  by  the  application  of  hot 
irons  to  both  his  hands.  Others,  appeared,  deprived  of  their 
right  eyes.     Others,  of  a  leg. 

Arius  was  deposed,  but  not  silenced.  lie  and  his  friends  made 
the  most  vigorous  efforts  to  persuade  the  Christian  world  that 
they  had  been  unjustly  condemned,  and  to  gain  a  restoration  to 
their  former  rank  and  privileges.  The  sister  of  the  Emperor  fa- 
voured their  cause.  In  her  last  moments,  she  prevailed  on  Con- 
stantino to  recal  Arius  from  banishment  ;  to  repeal  the  laws 
which  had  been  made  against  him  and  his  party,  and  even  to 
permit  them,  in  various  ways,  to  oppress  the  leading  members  of 
I  he  Nicene  council.  This  was  done  in  the  year  3o0.  But 
Athanasius,  the  successor  of  Alexander,  in  the  bishopric  of  Al- 
exandria, refused  to  receive  Arius  as  a  presbyter  under  him. 
For  his  firmness,  he  was,  in  turn,  deposed  and  banished  into 
Gaul.  The  Church  in  Alexandria,  however,  was  true  to  liS 
principles,  aiKl,  though  Arius  had  been  reinstated  with  great  so- 
lemnity, they  would  have  no  connexion  with  him.  Constantine 
then  ordered  him  to  Constantinople.  He  had  supposed  that  all 
would  be  peace,  for  he  had  been  made  to  believe  that  Arius  was 
unjustly  condemned  ;  that  there  was  no  essential  difference  be- 
tween him  and  his  accusers.  He  now  required  his  opinion  of 
the  Nicene  creed.  Arius,  v/ithout  hesitation,  subscribed  it,  and 
swore  to  his  sincerity  in  doing  it.  The  Emperor  could  never 
conceive  of  men's  subscribing  to  the  same  words,  who  !iad  en- 
tirely different  views.  This  was  the  case  in  that  period.  The 
Church  said  that  Christ  was  God.  The  Arians  allowed  it,  but 
in  the  same  sense,  that  rulers  and  angels  are  styled  gods  in 
scripture.  Deluded  by  the  apparent  frankness  of  Arius,  Con- 
stantine ordered  Alexander,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  to  re- 
ceive him  to  communion.  Alexander  could  not  resist,  but 
gave  himself  to  fasthig  and  prayer.  The  Arians  were  flushed 
with  success  ;  but  while  parading  in  triumph  through  the  streets 

16* 


186  TRIUMPH    OF    ARIANISM.  PERIOD    IIL 

of  the  city,  Arius  was  seized  with  anguish  in  his  bowels,  reti- 
red by  hi.nself,  and  suddenly  expired,  A.  D.  336. 

Soon  after,  Constantine,  who  had  been  the  instrument  in  the 
hand  of  God,  of  amazing  changes  in  the  religious  world,  went 
to  his  eternal  reward,  having  first  received  baptism,  which  had 
now  superstitiously  attached  to  it  saving  efficacy,  from  the  hands 
of  Eusebius,  bishop  of  Nicoraedia. 

His  successor,  Constantius,  favored  the  cause  of  the  Arians. 
He  entered  heartily  into  their  views,  and  from  the  year  337  to 
361,  violently  persecuted  their  opposers.  Athanasius,  who,  af- 
ter a  banishment  of  more  than  two  years,  had  returned,  was 
gbliged  to  flee  to  Rome.  A  number  of  his  friends  were  scour- 
ged and  imprisoned.  The  greatest  severities  were  inflicted  up- 
on many  ministers  who  held  to  the  Nicene  creed.  Some  were 
banished,  others  loaded  with  irons,  and  scourged  to  death.  The 
Arians  multiplied  creods  upon  creeds,  labouring  so  to  express 
themselves,  that  no  essential  difference  might  appear  between 
them  and  others  ;  and  multitudes  might  be  able  to  subscribe 
without  disturbing  their  consciences.  Among  those  who  were 
induced  to  this,  was  Liberius,  bishop  of  Rome.  The  Arians 
filled  all  the  high  places  in  the  Church,  and  were  exceedingly 
ambitious  of  wealth  and  power.  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia,  the 
zjealous  friend  of  Arius  was  made  Patriarch  of  Constantinople. 

In  the  year  349,  Constantius  was  constrained  by  the  popular 
voice,  to  reinstate  Athanasius  in  his  see.  It  was  a  moment  of 
triumph  to  his  friends.  But  his  enemies  determined  his  utter 
destruction,  and  accused  him  of  the  foulest  crimes.  Athana- 
aius  retired  to  the  deserts  and  secreted  himself  among  some 
monks,  who  refused  to  betray  him  to  his  persecuting  adversa- 
ries. For  nearly  40  years  Arianism  reigned  especially  in  the 
East,  almost  without  check,  and  it  became  a  proverb,  '*  All  the 
world  against  Athanasius,  and  Athanasius  against  all  the 
world." 

Constantius  died  in  the  year  361.  His  successor  Julian,  was 
no  friend  to  Christianity  in  any  shape,  and  all  parties  were  oi>li- 
ged,  for  a  season,  to  hide  themselves  in  the  dust.  Jovian,  the 
next  emperor,  was  a  Trinitarian,  and  in  his  reign,  almost  the 
whole  world  renounced  the  Arian  system.  Valentinian  and 
Valens,  two  brothers,  succeeded  Jovian.  The  former  was  the 
patron  of  the  Trinitarians,  the  latter  of  the  Arians.  Valens  re- 
newed in  the  East  the  spirit  of  persecution,  and  many  were 
banished. 

Gratian  and  Honorius,  the  next  emperors,  were  active  in  sup- 
pressing Paganism  and  extending  Christianity.  But  their  suc- 
cessor, Theodosius,  who  came  to  the  empire  in  379,  entered  on 


Chap.  0.  .Julian  revives  paganism.  187 

the  boldest  measures  both  for  destroying  idolatry  and  establish- 
ing an  uniform  religious  faith,  lie  drove  tlie  Arians  with  terri- 
ble violence  from  their  churches,  and  exposed  tliem  to  the  great- 
est calamities  througliout  his  dominions.  Unquestionably  it  was 
a  most  criminal  abuse  of  authority ;  but  he  seemed  to  have  no 
idea  that  religion  is  to  be  established  in  the  minds  of  men  by 
reason  and  not  by  force,  and  but  little  experimental  acquaint- 
ance with  that  system  he  was  so  zealous  to  establish. 

No  s6oner  had  the  Arians  attained  to  the  high  places 
than  they  split  into  various  parties.  They  could  not 
agree  among  themselves  in  their  views  of  the  character  of 
Christ.  A  multitude  of  new  sects  sprang  up  among  them,  un- 
der the  names  of  semi-arians,  eusebians,  aetians,  eunomians, 
acasians,  psathyrians,  &lc.  &lc.  who  were  as  hostile  to  each  oth- 
er, as  they  were  to  the  Nicene  party. 

The  Arian  controversy  also  produced  a  multitude  of  other 
sects, which,  for  a  time,  distracted  the  Christian  world;  but 
which  have  long  since  passed  away  and  been  lost  like  the  tumul- 
tuous waves  in  the  ocean. 

As  the  secular  arm  had  now,  for  many  years,  been  turned 
against  different  portions  of  the  professed  followers  of  Christ, 
the  Pagans  came  out  of  their  dens  and  took  courage.  They 
rejoiced  in  the  contentions  among  Christians  ;  and  when  they 
saw  the  Arians  depose  those  who  had  deposed  them,  they  said, 
"  The  Arians  have  come  over  to  our  party."  One  bold  and 
daring  effort  more,  therefore,  Satan  determined  to  make  to 
drive  Christianity  from  the  earth  and  regain  the  seat  of  empire. 

Julian  had  been  educated  a  Christian,  was  a  public  reader  in 
the  church  of  Nicomedia,  and  zealous  for  Christianity,  though 
he  probably  was  never  acquainted  with  the  true  spirit  of  the 
Gospel.  But,  througli  his  enmily  to  the  Constantine  family  and 
the  artifices  of  the  philosophers,  he  apostatized  from  his  pro- 
fessed faith  and  bent  the  whole  force  of  his  empire  to  the  rein- 
stitution  of  pagan  idolatry.  He  was  a  man  of  great  talents,  dis- 
simulation and  cunning,  and  he  pursued  those  measures  which 
must  have  ended  in  the  exterm.ination  of  Christianity  had  it  not 
been  the  cause  of  God.  For  he  not  only  repealed  the  laws 
made  against  idolatry,  opened  the  heathen  temples,  raised  up  an 
immense  priesthood,  and  set  the  whole  machinery  of  Paganism 
in  motion  throughout  his  vast  empire  ;  but  he  laboured,  in  a 
thousand  ways,  to  undermine  Christianity,  by  destroying  its 
moral  influence.  He  made  the  Christians  continually  the'  ob- 
ject of  ridicule,  calling  them  Oalileans  ;  shut  up  their  schools ; 
took  from  them  their  civil  and  religious  privileges ;  broke  up 
the  clergy  by  depriving  them  of  their  incomes,  and  burdening 


18S  ATTEMPTS  TO  REBUILD  THE  TEMPLE.  PeRIOD    III 

them  with  taxes  p.nd  civil  duties  ;  befriended  the  Jews  ;  reform- 
ed the  morality  of  Paganism  to  make  it  acceptable  to  tlie  pious, 
and  used  every  ensnaring  artifice,  to  draw  over  the  unwary. 
He  abstained  from  open  persecution,  because  he  saw  that  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs  had  been  the  seed  of  the  Church.  But  if 
he  did  not  take  away  life,   he  deprived  it  of  all  its  enjoyment; 

But  Julian  found  that  there  was  a  power  above  him.  In  de- 
fiance of  heaven,  he  undertook  to  rebuild  the  Temple  of  Jerusa- 
lem. "  He  committed  the  conduct  of  the  atfair"  says  Ammia- 
nus  Marcellinus,  a  writer  of  that  period  and  an  enemy  to  Christi- 
anity, '^  to  Alypius  of  Antioch,  who  set  himself  to  the  vigorous 
execution  of  his  charge,  and  was  assisted  by  the  governor  of  the 
province  ;  but  horrible  balls  of  fire,  breaking  out  near  the  foun- 
dations with  repeated  attacks,  rendered  the  place  inaccessible 
to  the  scorched  workmen  from  time  to  time,  and  the  element 
resolutely  driving  them  to  a  distance,  the  enterprize  was  drop- 
ped." Gregory  Nazianzen,  Ambrose,  and  Chrysostom,  who 
lived  at  the  same  time  and  the  ecclesiastical  historians  of  the 
next  age,  all  attest  the  same  facts. 

To  what  depression  the  Church  would  have  been  reduced  by 
so  formidable  an  enemy  had  he  lived  to  old  age,  none  call  tell. 
A  kind  providence  removed  him  from  the  stage  after  a  reign  of 
one  year  and  eight  months,  in  the  S*2d  year  of  his  age.  He 
had  attempted  the  conquest  of  the  Persians,  and  was  killed  by 
a  Persian  lance.  Conscious  of  his  fate,  he  filled  his  hand  with 
his  blood,  and  casting  it  into  the  air,  said,  ''  O,  Galilean^  thou 
hast  conquered J^ 

This  was  the  last  persecution  of  Christianity  by  Pagan  Rome. 
Pagans,  however,  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  empire,  continued 
to  defend  their  ancient  superstitions  by  arms,  and  massacred 
multitudes  who  bore  the  Christian  name.  This  was  particular- 
ly the  case  in  Persia,  where,  from  the  year  330  to  370,  a  most 
destructive  persecution  raged  and  an  incredible  number  of 
Christians  were  put  to  death — the  Magi  and  the  Jews  persuad- 
ing Sapor  the  monarch,  that  the  Christians  were  friendly  to  the 
Roman  emperor. 

The  fourth  century  produced  some  men  of  eminent  learning 
and  piety.  Among  these  were,  in  the  east,  Eusebius,  bishop 
of  Cncsarea,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  best  history  of  the 
Church  ;  Athanasius,  patriarch  of  Alexandria,  the  firm  and 
powerful  opponent  of  Arianism ;  Basil,  surnamed  the  great, 
bishop  of  Ca?sarea,  an  eminent  controversialist;  Ephraim,  the 
Syrian,  a  man  of  much  sanctity  of  life  and  conversation,  whose 
moral  writings  were  an  honor  to  the  age  ;  and  John  Chrysos- 
tom, bishop  of  Constantinople,  one  of  the  most  able  prea^iiera 


Chap.  G.  .chrysostom.     jerome.    augustine.  189 

that  has  adorned  the  Christian  Church.  To  strong  powers  of 
mind  and  a  lively  imagination  Chrysostom  added  fine  powers  of 
oratory,  and  commanded  immense  audiences.  He  was  an  able 
commentator  on  Paul's  epistles.  In  opposition  to  Origen,  he  ad- 
hered to  the  literal  sense  of  scripture,  maintaining  it  to  be  the 
true.  He  was  a  firm  supporter  of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  and  a 
bold  reprover  of  vice,  and  fell  a  victim  to  the  persecution  of  his 
foes.  He  was  banished  from  the  See  of  Constantinople  and 
died  at  Pityus  on  the  Euxine  sea  407,  aged  53. 

In  the  west,  was  Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan,  a  man  of  eminent 
piety  and  learning;  and  Jerome,  a  monk  of  Palestine,  whose  wri- 
tings are  very  voluminous.  He  translated  the  Bible  into 
Latin.  His  translation  was  called  the  Latin  Vulgate,  and 
was  afterwards  exclusively  adopted  by  the  Roman  Church. 
But  it  contained  many  errors.  By  his  own  writings  he 
contributed  much  to  the  growth  of  superstition.  Still,  he 
was  the  most  able  commentator  of  all  the  Latin  Fathers. 
Hilary  of  Poictierg,  a  man  of  singular  attachment  to  the  Gospel 
in  its  simplicity,  and  a  firm  defender  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity ;  and  Lactantius,  who,  in  his  divine  institutions,  exposed 
the  absurdity  of  the  pagan  rites,  lived  about  the  same  period. 
Ulpilas  also  deserves  notice.  He  was  zealous  in  civilizing  and 
converting  the  Goths.  He  translated  the  four  Gospels  into  their 
language. 

But  by  far  the  most  distinguished  and  valuable  man  of  this 
second  age  of  the  church,  was  Augustine,  bishop  of  Hippo  in 
Africa,  who  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth  and  begin- 
ning of  the  fifth  century.  He  was  born  in  Numidia  and  con- 
verted about  the  year  380,  when  near  thirty  years  of  age,  in  an 
evident  outpouring  of  the  spirit  upon  the  churches,  by  which, 
vital  godliness  Avas  much  revived  from  its  low  state,  especially 
in  the  east.  His  confessions,  in  which  he  gives  an  account  of 
his  conversion,  may  be  read  with  profit  by  Christians  in  every 
age.  He  was  early  raised  to  the  bishopric  of  Hippo,  and  by  his 
humble  piety  and  powerful  defence  of  the  fundamental  truths  of 
the  Gospel,  soon  became  the  admiration  of  the  Christian  world. 
His  best  commentary  was  on  the  Psalms.  He  died  in  the  year 
430,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  He  was  a  star  of  the  first  magni- 
tude, and  was  a  guide  for  centuries  after  to  Christians,  who, 
amid  the  darkness  of  Popery,  would  walk  in  the  truth. 

But  the  theological  writers  of  that  age  are  not  to  be  compared 
with  modern  divines.  Their  folios  will  not  repay  the  trouble 
of  a  perusal. 

Augustine  was  raised  up  to  defend  the  doctrines  of  grace. 
These  doctrines  had  remained  fundamental  from  the  apostolic 


190  PELACiANiaii.  Period  illl 

age,  though  they  had  been  much  corrupted  by  Justin,  Origen 
and  others,  who  were  led  astray  by  a  deceitful  philosophy.  But 
when  in  the  days  of  Constantine,  the  world  came  into  the  church, 
they  were  a  dead  letter.  AH  were  viewed  as  Christians,  who 
professed  Christianity,  though  they  knew  not,  in  their  own  ex- 
perience, that  there  was  an  Holy  Ghost.  A  great  part  of  the 
Christian  world  therefore,  were  ready  to  subscribe  to  a  system 
which  rejected  the  necessity  of  the  grace  of  God ;  should 
a  man  arise  with  the  talent  and  boldness  to  promulge  one. 

Such  a  man  was  Pelagius.  He  was  born  in  Britain ;  but 
made  Rome  his  residence.  There,  in  company  with  Ca^lestius 
an  Irish  monk,  he  avowed  about  the  year  410,  a  denial  of  the 
total  corruption  of  human  nature,  and  of  the  necessity  of  the 
enlightening,  renewing  and  sanctifying  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Caelestius  was  at  first  the  most  open.  At  Cartha2;e,  he 
laboured  much  to  propagate  his  sentiments.  He  was  pressed 
with  the  custom  of  the  church  in  baptizing  infants,  as  a  proof 
of  her  belief  in  all  ages  that  infants  were  depraved ;  but  he 
persisted  in  his  sentiments  and  was  condemned  as  an  heretic,  in 
the  year  412. 

Pelagius  went  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  found  patronage  and 
formed  disciples.  His  opinions  were  warmly  opposed  by  Au- 
gustine ;  who  firmly  maintained  entire  depravity  ;  the  necessity 
of  divine  grace;  that  there  is  an  eternal  purpose  of  God 
or  predestination  with  regard  to  those  who  shall  be  saved,  and 
that  they,  and  only  they,  will  finally  obtain  it.  The  Christian 
world  was  distracted.  Council  after  council  was  held,  and  de- 
cree after  decree  was  passed,  condemning  or  approving  the  op- 
posite parties  ;  but,  in  420,  the  secular  arm  was  raised,  and  Pe- 
lagianism  was  suppressed  tliroughout  the  empire.  A  new  sect, 
however,  soon  arose,  favoured  by  Cassian  a  monk  at  Marseilles, 
called  the  Semi-Pelagians,  who  allowed  the  necessity  of  divine- 
grace  to  persevere  in  holiness,  though  not  to  commence  it,  and 
who  were  long  engaged,  especially  in  France,  in  controversy 
with  the  followers  of  Augustine. 

In  the  remainder  of  the  fifth  and  whole  of  the  sixth  century, 
the  reader  of  ecclesiastical  history  finds  but  little  that  engages 
his  attention.  The  Church  washed,  sanctified  and  justified 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  spirit  of  God,  is 
scarcely  visible.  Immense  changes  took  place  in  the  civil 
world  which  could  not  fail  to  aflfect  the  visible  kingdom  of  the 
Redeemer. 

In  the  year  476,  an  end  was  put  to  the  western  part  of 
the  Roman  empire  by  the  incursions  of  a  fierce  and  warlike 
people  from  the  Rorthern  part  of  Europe,   who  had   for   more 


ClIAP.  6.  THE  TEN  UORNS  OF  THE  BEAST.  191 

than  half  a  century,  been  overspreading  Italy,  Gaul  and 
Spain,  and  erecting  new  kingdoms  in  these  beiiutiful  coun- 
tries. This  great  event  was  depicted  in  the  vision  of  Daniel, 
ages  before,  in  which  he  beheld  a  beast,  dreadful  and  terrible, 
which  had  ten  horns.  This  beast  was  the  Roman  empire,  and 
these  horns  were  ten  kingdoms,  into  wliich  it  was  now  divided 
by  the  barbarous  nations.  How  wonderful  the  providence  of 
God  !     '*  He  seeth  the  end  from  the  beginning." 

These  barbarians,  the  Goths,  Huns,  Franks,  Herulians  and 
Vandals,  were  idolaters  and  strangers  to  Christianity  ;  but  they 
concerned  themselves  but  little  about  religion  of  any  description 
being  chiefly  intent  upon  wealth  and  power,  and  were,  for  the 
most  part,  induced  to  renounce  their  idolatry  and  become  nomi- 
nal, but  wretched  Christians.  Some,  however,  of  the  old  Pa- 
gans, who  remained  in  the  empire,  hoped  to  revive  their  ancient 
worship,  and,  in  a  few  instances,  instigated  the  heathen  to  acts 
of  cruelty  and  oppression  towards  those  who  would  not  bow  to 
their  idols. 

Had  these  idolaters  been  of  the  character  of  the  old  opposers 
of  Christianity,  they  might,  in  this  degenerate  age  of  the  church, 
have  easily  exterminated  it  from  the  earth.  But  they  came 
down  from  the  cold  regions  of  the  north  for  comfort  and  im- 
provement ;  and  finding  Christianity  in  all  respects,  a  better  re- 
ligion than  their  own,  they  embraced  it ;  and  it  had  in  time  the 
happiest  effpcts  in  softening  their  manners  and  refining  their 
morals.  They  adopted  the  Arian  system,  and  the  Nicene  be- 
lievers received  from  them  the  Litterest  persecutions. 

One  of  the  ten  kingdoms  was  that  of  the  Franks.  Clovis, 
their  king,  had  married  Clotilda,  niece  ofGondebaud,  king  of 
the  Burgundians.  Her  own  nation  had  already  embraced 
Christianity,  because  they  thought  the  god  of  the  Romans  most 
able  to  protect  them  against  their  enemies.  Such  low  ideas 
had  these  barbarians  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  But  they,  as  well 
as  the  Vandals,  Suevi  and  Goths  had  sided  with  the  Arian  party. 
Clotilda,  however,  was  attached  to  the  Nicene  faith.  She  la- 
boured much  for  the  conversion  of  her  husband  to  the  Chris- 
tian faith  :  but  he  was  obstinate,  and  when  her  cliild,  which  had 
been  baptized,  died,  he  attributed  its  death  to  its  baptism.  At 
length,  fearing  destruction  in  a  battle  with  the  Alenmans,  he 
prayed  to  Jesus  Christ  for  victory ;  promising  that  if  he  would 
graiit  it,  he  would  become  a  Christian.  Victory  ensued,  and  he 
was  baptized  at  Rheims  and  received  into  the  general  church,. 
A.  D.  49G  ;  but  he  was  never  an  honor  to  any  religion.  Three 
thousand  of  his  army  were  baptized  with  him.  This  was  aij 
important  event.     All  the  other  rulers  of  the  world  were  either 


192  RELieHON   OK  THE  ANCIENT  BRIT0N;5.  PERIOD    III. 

bowing  to  Pagan  deities  or  infested  with  the  Arian  opinions. 
Clovis  and  his  people  embraced  and  revived  the  faith  of  the 
primitive  churches. 

In  this  century  also,  the  Irish  were  led  to  renounce  idolatry, 
and  embrace  Christianity  ;  partly  by  the  exertions  of  Palladius, 
hut  chiefly,  through  the  zeal  of  Patrick,  a  Scot,  who  has  usual- 
ly been  styled,  the  Apostle  of  the  Irish.  He  died  A.  D.  413,  at 
the  great  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty. 

The  ancient  Britons  were  idolaters.  Their  priests,  the  druids, 
had  some  notions  of  a  supreme  divinity  and  of  immortality,  but 
{hey  w'orshipped  subordinate  deities,  as  Taranis,  the  thunderer, 
llesus,  the  god  of  battles,  Andrasse,  the  goddess  of  victory  ;  and 
their  immortality  was  little  more  than  the  Indian  notion  of  the 
transmigration  of  souls.  They  built  great  temples,  of  massy 
stone,  in  which  they  performed  bloody  rites.  One  of  these, 
Stonehenge,  is  still,  in  part,  remaining.  They  secured  a  great 
revenue  by  compelling  all  the  inhabitants  to  extinguish  their 
fires  on  a  certain  day  in  the  winter,  and  come  and  kindle  them 
again  from  the  sacred  fire  of  the  Druids. — This  they  withheld 
from  such  as  had  not  paid  their  revenues. 

They  held  sacred  the  Misseltoe.  They  were  notorious, 
above  all  other  heathen  priests,  for  the  practice  of  pretended 
magic.  When  a  chief  was  afflicted  with  sickness,  they  sacrifi- 
ced a  human  victim.  Naked  women  assisted  at  the  bloody  rite. 
Such  were  the  abominations  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Eng- 
land. 

When  and  by  whom  the  knowledge  of  Christianity  was  first 
introduced  there,  is  unknown.  It  is  certain  there  were  Chris- 
tians there  soon  after  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  and  they  pi'oba- 
bly  came  from  R.ome.  They  were  persecuted  ;  and  Christian- 
ity as.  well  as  the  druidical  religion  was  exterminated  by  the 
Saxons,  Angles  and  other  tribes  who  conquered  the  country. 
These,  practised  their  idolatries  for  about  an  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  They  worshipped  the  Sun,  Moon,  Thuth,  Odin,  Thor, 
Frigga  and  Surtur.  From  these  are  derived  the  English  names 
©f  the  seven  days  of  the  week.  They  had  idols  in  wood,  stone 
and  metals,  temples  and  a  regular  priesthood.  Their  rites 
were  bloody. 

One  day  in  the  sixth  century,  Gregory,  an  eminent  man  at 
Rome,  was  walking  in  the  market  place,  and  beholding  a  num- 
ber of  fine  youth  with  clear  skins,  flaxen  hair  and  beautiful 
countenances  for  sale  ;  he  enquired  from  whence  they  came  and 
whether  they  were  Christians.  On  being  told  that  they  were 
Pagans  from  Britain,  his  compassion  was  excited.  On  asking 
further  by  what  name  they  were  cnlled,  he  was  told  they  were 


Chap.  C.  conversion  of  the  English.  19'3 

Angli,  '*  Well,"  said  he,  *'  may  ihey  be  so  called,  for  they  have 
angelic  countenances,  and  ought  to  be  made  co-heirs  with  the 
Angels  in  heaven."  And  when  farther  informed  that  they  came 
from  the  province  of  Deira,  now  Durham, — he  exclaimed,  ''  De 
Dei  ira  !  from  the  wrath  of  God  they  must  be  delivered."  And 
it  being  added  that  Ella  was  their  king,  he  replied,  *'  Hallelu- 
jah ought  to  be  sung  in  his  dominions."  Gregory  soon  offered 
his  services  as  a  missionary  to  England,  but  they  were  not  ac- 
cepted. When,  however,  in  a  few  years,  he  was  raised  to  the 
popedom,  he  sent  forty  monks  under  Augustine,  to  convert  the 
English  nation.  They  entered  Britain  in  597,  and  were  kindly 
received  by  Bertha,  a  pious  descendant  of  Clovis  who  had  mar- 
ried Ethelbert,  king  of  Kent;  permitted  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
and  had  a  residence  assigned  them  in  the  city  of  Canterbury. 
The  king  soon  declared  himself  a  convert,  and  his  subjects  fol- 
lowed his  example.  Other  kings  in  the  Saxon  heptarchy,  were 
soon  persuaded  with  their  people  to  renounce  idolatry,  and,  in  i\ 
short  period,  the  whole  island  became  nominally  Christian. 

Of  the  religion  of  the  English  converted  to  Christianity,  we 
have  very  imperfect  accounts.  One  fact  speaks  highly  in  its 
praise.  Missionaries  issued  forth,  who  spread  the  light  of  truth 
through  Bavaria,  Friesland,  Cimbria  and  Denmark,  delivering 
the  North  and  West  of  Europe  from  pagan  darkness  and  idola- 
try. The  venerable  Bede,  who  died  in  735  was  an  ornament  to 
the  age  in  which  he  lived.  He  translated  the  Psalter  and  the 
Gospels  into  the  Anglo  Saxon,  and  wrote  a  valuable  Church 
history.  Alcuinus,  one  of  his  pupils,  raid  who  became  the  in- 
structor of  Charlemagne,  deserves  mention  for  his  learning  and 
piety.  But  a  great  and  general  degeneracy  soon  took  place. 
The  Danes  broke  up  every  thing  good  in  the  nation.  When  Alfred 
came  to  the  throne  in  the  ninth  century,  there  was  scarce  a 
priest  who  understood  latin  enough  to  construe  his  daily  pray- 
ers. His  efforts  to  restore  learning  and  religion  were  princely. 
The  whole  Bible  was  translated  by  his  order.  He  began  to 
translate  the  Psalms  himself  But  when  he  had  passed  away 
monachism  reared  its  head,  and  the  light  which  had  been  per- 
mitted to  shine  in  Britain  was  extinguished,  and  gross  darkness 
brooded  over  the  land.  As  the  papacy  arose,  the  monarchs 
found  that  a  convenient  engine  in  the  despotic  exercise  of  civ- 
il power,  and  soon  the  whole  country  was  subjected  to  its  tre^ 
mendous  dominion. 

In  the  East,  some  Indians  on  the  Malabar  coast  were  conver- 
ted to  Christianity,  by  the  Syrian  Mar  Thomas,  as  early  as  the 
fifth  century.  Their  Churches  still  remain.  The  principal 
propagators  of  Christianity,   subsequent  to  this,  were  the  Nes- 

17 


194  NESTORIANS.      EUTYCHEAJVS.  PeRIOD   III. 

torians,  who  gained  a  firm  footing  in  Persia,  established  their 
patriarch  at  Seleucia,  passed  over  Tartary  and  India,  and  pene- 
trated even  into  China.  A  prodigious  number  of  people  through 
all  these  countries,  which  are  now  overrun  by  Mahometanism 
and  Idolatry,  were  induced  to  embrace  Christianity. 

We  cannot  however,  form  a  very  exalted  opinion  of  the  con- 
versions of  this  period,  either  in  the  East  or  West.  They  vv^ere 
little  more  than  nominal,  a  change  of  religion  ;  and,  in  many 
cases,  the  converted  retained  many  of  their  heathen  customs, 
and  all  their  vices.  Yet  they  paved  the  way  for  the  establish- 
ment of  the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer  in  tlie  hearts  of  men. 

Two  men  of  eminent  piety  adorned  the  sixth  century  ;  Ful- 
i^entius,  bishop  of  Ruspse  in  Africa,  and  Gregory  first,  bishop  of 
Rome.  The  one  lived  near  the  beginning,  the  other,  near  the 
close,  and  were  both  authors  of  much  celebrity  and  merit. 
Gregory  introduced  Christianity  into  England. 

The  Emperor  Justinian,  who  succeeded  to  the  Roman  em- 
pire A.  D.  527,  was  an  eminent  champion  for  Christianity,  though 
he  seems  himself  to  have  been  unacquainted  with  vital  piety.  He 
endeavoured  to  bring  all  nations  to  nominal  subjection  to  Christ ; 
built  sumptuous  temples,  and  suppressed  every  where  what 
remained  of  idolatry.  In  his  time,  Chosroes  king  of  Persia, 
waged  a  most  cruel  and  desolating  war  against  the  Christians, 
and  the  God  of  the  Christians. 

The  disputes  in  which  the  churches  had  been  involved  con- 
cerning the  nature  and  person  of  Christ;  the  depravity  of  man, 
and  the  necessity  of  divine  grace  in  order  to  salvation,  had  eli- 
cited much  truth,  so  that  these  great  subjects  were  now  much 
better  understood  by  many  throughout  Christendom  in  the  5th 
and  6th  centuries,  than  they  were  for  a  considerable  period  be- 
fore the  reign  of  Constantino.  But  unhappily  almost  every  part 
of  the  Christian  world  were  fiercely  engaged  for  the  peculiari- 
ties of  some  distinguished  leader,  of  a  sect  or  party,  who  had 
the  boldness  to  advance  some  new  opinion,  overlooking,  as  of 
no  value,  the  great  essentials  of  Christianity.  The  numerous 
secis  into  which  the  Arians  split,  maintained  with  vehemence 
their  peculiar  views. 

In  the  East  the  Nestorians  a  powerful  body  had  broken  off  from 
the  general  Church.  Their  leader,  Nestorius,  a  bishop  of  Con- 
stantinople in  the  5th  century,  had  affirmed  that  in  Christ  there 
were  two  persons,  or  two  natures  united  by  one  operation  and 
will,  and  that,  as  only  the  human  nature  could  proceed  from  Ma- 
ry, it  was  improper  to  call  her  the  mother  of  God.  In  this  he 
was  opposed  by  Eutyches,  an  abbot  of  monks,  who  declared  that 
in  Christ  there  was  but  one  nature,  that  of  the  incarnate  word, 


Chap.  6.    increase  of  error  and  superstition.  195 

which  proceeded  from  Mary,  who  ought  therefore  to  be  called 
the  mother  of  God.  His  adherents  were  called  Eutycheans. 
Both  were  successively  condemned  by  general  councils.  The 
Theopaschites  were  furious  in  maintaining  that  all  the  three 
persons  in  the  Godhead  suffered  on  the  cro'^s.  The  Monopha- 
sites,  that  the  divine  nature  absorbed  the  human.  The  Corrup- 
ticola3  looked  upon  the  body  of  Christ  as  corruptible,  and  the 
Agnoeta?,  upon  the  human  nature  of  Christ  as  knowing  all 
things.  The  Donatists  increased  and  became  powerful  amid 
violent  persecutions  in  Africa.  The  Manicheans  also  continu- 
ed to  disperse  in  the  East,  their  wild  opinions  of  two  original 
principles,  good  and  evil. 

Before  the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  the  world  was  at  ease, 
and  superstition  had  made  most  rapid  strides.  The  great  mass 
of  ministers  were  excessively  ignorant,  and  led  away  themselves 
by  the  strangest  phantasies,  did  little  but  delude  and  destroy 
the  people.  A  thousand  rites  were  performed,  each  one  of 
which  was  supposed  to  have  some  wonderful  power.  A  thous- 
and relics  were  produced,  whose  touch  could  heal  the  body  and 
the  mi;  d.  The  most  marvellous  miracles  were  performed.  The 
most  superstitious  services  were  rendered  to  departed  souls.  Im- 
ages of  saints  were  worshipped,  under  tiie  belief  that  such  wor- 
ship drew  down  their  propitious  presence.  Tombs  and  grave- 
yards were  viewed  as  the  places  most  frequented  by  departed 
spirits,  and  were  the  general  rendezvous  of  the  ignorant.  The 
doctrine  of  purgatory  or  the  purification  of  souls  by  fire  beyond 
the  grave  ;  had  gained  strong  hold  of  the  minds  of  the  multi- 
tude. So?ne  starved  themselves  v»^ith  a  frantic  obstinacy.  Some, 
possessed  of  a  superstitious  phrenzy,  erected  high  pillars  and  stood 
on  them  for  many  years.  The  leader  of  this  debased  class  of  men, 
was  one  Simeon,  a  Syrian,  who,  to  climb  as  near  to  heaven  as 
he  could,  passed  thirty-seven  years  of  his  life  upon  five  pillars, 
of  six,  twelve,  twenty-two,  thirty-six,  and  forty  cubits  high; 
attracting  the  admiration  of  the  world  around  him.  Sucii  thmgs 
are  disgusting  to  the  rational  and  pious  mind.  It  is  a  subject  of 
gratitude  that  religion  is  not  answerable  for  them.  Religion  is 
the  love  of  God  and  men,  holiness  of  heart  and  life  ;  not  the  su- 
perstitious veneration  of  a  bone,  or  standing  upon  stilts  a  spec- 
tacle of  folly.  These  things  belong  properly  to  the  history  of 
the  age,  to  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness,  and  not  of 
the  Church  of  Christ.  Let  those  who  will,  stumble  over  them 
and  fall  into  a  like  fatal  whirlpool,  the  whirlpool  of  infidelity. 
"  Wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children." 

Such  reflections  will  be  more  needed  as  we  advance  ;  for  a 
period  of  Egyptian  darkness  is  before  us. 


iOO  MONAcnisM  Period  III. 


CHAPTER  VIF. 

Monachism.  lis  rise  and  vrogrcss.  ReflectlGus  on  its  odiou.< 
character.  Mahomet ams77i.  Appearance  of  Mahomet  in  Ara- 
bia. His  religion.  Extension  of  the  Saracen  Empire.  De- 
struction of  the  Eastern  churches.  Present  extent  of  Ma- 
hometanism. 

In  the  seventh  century,  two  immense  powers,  the  Mahometan 
and  the  Papal,  arose,  which  laid  the  East  and  the  West  in  mel- 
ancholy desolation. 

Before  we  enter  upon  their  history,  we  will  take  a  view  of 
MONACHISM,  which  had  already,  for  two  centuries,  prevailed  in 
the  earth. 

At  an  early  period,  the  simplicity  of  the  Gospel  was,  in  vari- 
ous ways,  materially  injured  by  an  amalgamation  with  the  phi- 
losophy of  the  age.  It  was  one  principle  of  that  philosophy, 
that  "  for  the  attainment  of  true  felicity  and  communion  with 
God,  it  was  necessary  that  the  soul  should  be  abstracted  from 
the  body  here  below,  and  that  the  body  should  be  macerated 
and  mortified  for  tl  is  purpose."  This  was  a  principle  which 
many,  especially,  who  had  once  been  heathen,  were  ready  to 
engraft  on  the  Gospel,  and  a  considerable  number  of  both  sex- 
es, were  to  be  found  even  in  the  third  century,  giving  them- 
selves up  to  austerities  and  solitude,  and  a  perpetual  contempla- 
tion of  spiritual  objects.  A  practice  which  thus  probably  com- 
menced with  pious  people,  who  were  actuated  by  good  motives, 
was  soon  perverted  to  the  most  abominable  superstition  and 
wickedness. 

One  Antony,  a  youth  of  Alexandria,  on  entering  a  church 
and  hearing  our  Lord's  words  to  a  young  ruler,  ''  Sell  all  that 
thou  hast  and  give  to  the  poor,"  resolved  literally  to  observe 
the  direction,  and  to  set  an  example  of  self-denial,  such  as  the 
world  had  never  before  seen.  Pie  parted  with  all  he  had,  re- 
tired into  the  desert,  and  practised  through  a  long  life  the  great- 
est possible  austerities.  His  fame  spread  throughout  the  world. 
Great  numbers  resorted  to  him  to  see  him  and  hear  his  conver- 
sation. Multitudes  followed  his  example,  that  if  the  "  wilder- 
ness and  the  solitary  place"  were  not  glad  for  them,  they  were 
at  least,  to  a  surprising  extent,  filled  with  them.  Many  of  these, 
who  thus  secluded  themselves  from  the  world ,  Antony  formed 
into  a  regular  community ;  inducing  them  to  live  together,  and 


Chap.  7.  antony.  197 

prescribing  rules  for  their  observance.  Thus  originated  the 
first  regular  monastic  order.  Antony  died  A.  D.  356,  at  the 
extreme  age  of  105.  During  his  life,  he  manifested  much  zeal 
for  the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  was  particularly  honored  with 
the  friendship  of  Athanasius,  who  wrote  his  life.  His  property 
at  his  death  consisted  of  one  old  garment,  given  him  by  Athana- 
sius, two  sheep-skins  and  a  sackloth. 

His  chief  disciple,  Hilarion,  introduced  his  monastic  regula- 
tions into  Palestine  and  Syria.  Others,  actuated  wiih  a  zeal 
which,  had  it  been  properly  directed,  might  have  given  salva- 
tion to  the  world,  carried  them  into  other  countries,  so  that,  in  a 
little  time,  Europe  and  Africa  and  Asia  were  "  filled  with  a  lazy 
set  of  mortals,  who,  abandoning  ail  human  connexions,  advanta- 
ges, pleasures  and  concerns,  wore  out  a  languishing  and  misera- 
ble life  a'.nidst  the  hardships  of  want  and  various  kinds  of  suf- 
fering, in  order  as  they  pretended,  to  arrive  at  a  more  close  and 
rapturous  communion  with  God  and  angels." 

As  some  fjllowed  the  instructions,  and  others  the  example  of 
Antony,  the  monks  were  at  first  of  two  kinds,  called  the  Caeno- 
bites  and  the  Eremites.  The  former  associated  together  in  one 
building  under  a  spiritual  father.  The  latter  lived  like  Antony 
alone,  in  the  wildest  deserts,  often  without  habitation  or  cloth- 
ing or  much  sustenance,  besides  the  roots  and  herbs  which  na- 
ture afforded  them. 

In  no  part  of  the  world  was  monachism  carried  to  such  extra- 
vagant lengths  as  in  the  burning  regions  of  the  east.  In  Eu- 
rope, the  monks  were  at  first  laymen  of  respectable  standing, 
who  ordy  united  themselves  to  some  order  bearing  the  name, 
rather  than  the  thing  ;  many  of  them  were  the  most  learned  and 
respectable  men  in  society  ;  but  in  the  east  multitudes  gave 
themselves  up  to  the  .wildest  phrenzy — living  more  like  savage 
animals  than  rational  men. 

The  increase  of  the  monks  in  succeeding  centuries,  their  aus- 
terities, superstitions  and  frauds  almost  exceed  rational  belief 
In  the  east,  whole  armies  might  have  been  raised  from  among 
them,  without  apparently  diminishing  their  number.  St.  Mar- 
tin, who  founded  the  first  monasteries  in  Gaul,  was  followed  to 
his  grave  by  no  less  than  2000  monks.  Parents  early  devoted 
their  sons  and  daughters  to  perpetual  celibacy  in  the  gloomy  re- 
cesses of  a  cloister,  thinking  it  the  highest  possible  felicity  to 
which  they  could  raise  them.  Multitudes,  who  did  not  join 
them,  consecrated  to  them  their  wealth  that  they  might  have 
the  prayers  and  intercession  of  these  holy  men  ;  dying  tyrants 
and  debauchees  gave  them  princely  fortunes  to  quiet  tlicir  own 

17* 


198  MONACHisivf.  Period  III 

consciences,  by  which  means  the  monastic  orders  became  pos- 
sessed of  immense  treasures. 

Every  age  teemed  with  new  orders  formed  by  some  adventur- 
ous leader,  who  had  the  boldness  and  ingenuity  to  devise  some 
aew  regulations.  In  England,  where  Monachism  had  been 
introduced  by  Augustine  and  his  companions,  an  Abbot  named 
Congall,  induced  an  incredible  number  of  people  to  abandon  all 
the  duties  and  pleasures  of  social  life,  and  live  in  entire  solitude 
under  rules  of  his  devising.  His  disciples  spread  over  Ireland, 
Gaul  and  Germany,  and  covered  the  land  with  swarms  of  the 
most  lazy  drones. 

The  vices  and  extravagances  of  the  monks,  which  began  to 
be  past  all  endurance,  led  Benedict  of  Nursia,  a  man  of  piety 
and  intelligence,  to  institute  in  the  year  529,  a  rule  of  discipline 
by  which  monks  should  be  more  orderly  and  regular,  subject  to 
fewer  austerities  and  more  useful  to  society,  especially  in  edu- 
cating youth.  This  discipline  was  exceedingly  popular,  and  the 
Benedictine  order  soon  swallowed  up  all  others.  It  was  pat- 
ronized by  the  Roman  pontiffs,  and  was  endowed  with  immense 
riches  by  the  opulent ;  but  luxury,  intemperance  and  sloth  soon 
reigned  in  the  convents  of  Benedict,  and  his  humble  saints 
were  the  prime  leaders  in  all  the  political  factions  which  dis- 
tracted Europe. 

By  the  rules  of  their  founders,  every  order  was  devoted  to 
feading.  Hence,  libraries  were  formed  in  every  monastery,  and 
in  these,  fortunately,  the  ancient  authors,  sacred  and  profane, 
were  carefully  preserved  through  that  awful  period,  when  the 
interests  of  literature  were  laid  waste  throughout  Europe  by  the 
barbarous  incursions  of  the  northern  nations. 

In  the  eighth  and  nmth  centuries,  the  monks  were  held  in 
the  most  astonishing  veneration.  Immense  sums  of  money 
were  devoted  to  building  convents  throughout  Christendom. 
Kings  and  dukes  and  nobles  descended  from  their  high  stations 
in  society,  and  shut  themselves  up  in  these  convents  for  com- 
munion with  God.  And  in  return,  monks  and  abbots  were  ta- 
ken from  cloisters  and  placed  at  the  head  of  states  and  armies  ; 
under  the  pretence,  that  none  were  so  fit  to  govern  men  as  those 
who  had  subdued  their  own  appetites  and  passions,  and  were 
the  peculiar  favorites  of  heaven.  But  as  they  increased  in  pow- 
er, they  sunk  in  ignorance,  licentiousness  and  debauchery, 
and  were  torn  by  dissentions  and  jealousies  and  the  most  bitter 
animosities. 

In  the  tenth  century  arose  in  France,  a  set  of  reformers  call- 
ed the  order  or  congregation  of  Clugni ;  who  were,  for  a  season 
renowned   throughout   Europe   for   their   sanctity  and  virtnr 


ClIAP.  7.  DOMINICANS.      FRANCISCANS.  199 

Their  discipline  was  received  by  almost  all  monasteries,  new 
and  old,  which  gave  them  a  vast  spiritual  dominion  ;  but  no 
sooner  had  they  reached  the  summit  of  worldly  prosperity,  than 
they  sunk  under  their  own  licentiousness,  which  had  become 
equal  to  that  of  any  preceding  order. 

In  the  eleventh  century  arose  in  Burgundy,  the  congregation 
of  Cistertians  ;  which,  for  a  tnne,  gave  them  to  all  the  monastic 
orders.  The  famous  order  of  the  Carthu.^ians  also  comme  ced 
their  existence  about  this  period.  Their  institution  was  mel- 
ancholy, and,  especially  in  relation  to  female  devotees,  sa  age 
in  the  extreme. 

In  t'le  twelfth  century  flourished  Bernard,  an  Abbot  of 
much  learning  and  eloquence.  He  died  1153,  leaving  IGO  mo- 
nasteries of  his  order.  Abelard  was  his  opponent ;  a  man  too 
of  much  learning.     He  died  1 143. 

The  thirteenth  century  formed  a  new  era  in  the  history  of 
Monachism.  The  Monastic  institutions  were  rolling  in  wealth. 
They  were  uncontrolable  by  any  power.  They  had  lost  ight 
of  all  religious  obligation  and  were  sunk  in  luxurious  indol  nee. 
To  break  up  these  immense  establishments,  Innocent  III.  the 
Roman  pontifT,  mstituted  an  order,  who  should  look  down  with 
contempt  upon  wealth,  hold  no  possessions,  and  subsist  wholly 
on  charity.  This  was  called  the  Mendicant  order  or  be-'ging 
friars  ;  and,  patronized  by  him,  it  immediately  grew  to  such  an 
enormous  size,  that  Europe  could  scarce  sustain  the  burden. 

About  I2G0,  arose  the  Flagellantes  or  Whippers,  a  fanatical 
multitude  of  both  sexes,  and  all  ranks  and  ages,  who,  encoura- 
ged by  these  mendicant  orders,  ran  through  cities  and  vilhiges 
with  whips  in  their  hands,  lashing  their  naked  bodies,  to  ap- 
pease the  deity,  and  strange  as  it  may  appear  to  us,  were  greatly 
revered. 

In  the  year  1272,  Gregory  reduced  the  extravagant  multitude 
of  mendicants  to  four  societies,  viz:  the  Dominicans,  and 
Franciscans,  the  Carmelites,  or  followers  of  the  prophet  Elijah, 
and  the  hermits  of  St.  Augustin.  The  head  of  the  first  was 
Dominic,  a  Spaniard,  austere,  violent,  overbearing,  unfeel- 
ing, who  greatly  distinguished  himself  by  an  impetuous  attack 
upon  the  opposers  of  the  papacy  in  France.  With  him  origina- 
ted the  inquisition.  The  head  of  the  second  was  Francis,  a 
man  who  had  led  a  most  dissolute  life,  but  became  suddenly 
very  devout,  and  instituted  an  order  which  should,  if  possible, 
exceed  all  others  in  absolute  poverty.  The  other  two  were  old 
establishments,  and  were  never  of  much  note  compared  with  the 
Dominicans  and  Franciscans. 

These  orders  of  mendicants  were  suffered  to  travel  wherever 


'IdO  MONACHisM.  Period  III. 

they  pleased,  and  live  upon  the  charity  of  the  public.  They 
assumed  marks  of  gravity  and  holiness  which  no  other  order 
had  ever  shewn.  Their  popularity  was  unrivalled.  Large 
cities  were  cantoned  out  for  their  accommodation.  The  trea- 
sures of  the  world  were  laid  at  their  feet.  From  no  other  hands 
would  the  people  receive  the  sacraments  ;  and  with  them  they 
were  zealous  to  deposit  their  dead.  Vast  multitudes  thought  it 
their  highest  happiness  to  he  admitted  into  the  mendicant  or^ 
ders.  Many  made  it  an  article  in  their  last  wills  that  their  bo- 
dies should  be  wrapped  in  old  Dominican  or  Franciscan  rags, 
and  be  interred  among  the  Mendicants.  For  three  centuries, 
these  two  orders  governed  Europe.  They  filled  every  impor- 
tant post  in  church  and  st  ite  ;  taught  in  all  the  universities  and 
schools ;  and  though  they  qaarrelled  most  violently  with  each 
other,  they  were  the  very  soul  of  the  Papal  power,  and  through 
that,  gave  law  to  empires,  states  and  nations.  But  their  monk- 
ish cowl  concealed  tiie  most  scandalous  immoralities  and  vices. 

The  Dominicans  first  came  into  England,  A.  D.  1221.  The 
mayor  of  London  permitted  them  to  erect  a  convent  by  the 
Thames,  on  a  street  which  is  still  called  Black  Friars,  from  the 
color  of  their  dress.  The  Franciscans  came  into  England 
soon  after.     Their  establishment  was  at  Canterbury. 

To  give  a  full  account  of  all  the  operations,  corruptions,  lu- 
perstitions,  frauds  and  enormities  of  the  monks ;  their  bitter  ani- 
mosities and  contentions,  would  require  volumes.  Their  history 
sickens  the  heart.  To  see  men,  under  pretence  of  great  devo- 
tedness  to  God,  leading  the  most  loathsome,  filthy  life  ;  some- 
times casting  ofl'  all  clothing  and  going  on  all  fours  like  beasts  ; 
secreting  themselves  in  dens  and  holes  ;  or  wandering  about  in 
the  extremes  of  wretchedness,  with  their  hair  and  beard  of  an 
enormous  length,  and  their  bodies  covered  with  vermin  ;  eating 
-of  choice,  the  most  nauseous  food  ;  wearing  heavy  chains  ;  fas- 
tening graters  upon  tiieir  breast  and  back  ;  girding  themselves 
with  bandages  of  bristles  and  sharp  pointed  wires ;  flogging 
themselves  with  thorn-sticks;  mutilating  their  bodies,  until 
they  often  expiied  under  their  self-tortures  ;  and  these  men 
commanding  the  reviuence  and  homage  of  the  world  as  saints, 
holy  ones — what  can  be  more  revolting  and  distressing  to  a  ra- 
tional mind  ?  And  is  this  indeed  Christianity  ?  Is  this  the 
Church  which  Christ  redeemed  to  himself  and  renewed  by  his 
Spirit,  that  he  might  present  it  a  glorious  Church,  not  having 
spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing?  Oh,  no,  we  have  turned 
away  from  her  to  contemplate  this  abominable  excrescenc-e  which 
grew  upon  her  side,  and  which  weighed  her  down  even  to  the 
dust.     But  we  shall  see  worse  things  than  these. 


MAPIOMETANISxAI. 

In  the  Revelationsof  John,  the  degenerate  Church  was  taught 
to  expect  the  most  desolating  judgments  from  terrific  adversa- 
ries. Already  we  have  seen  Pagan  Home  going  forth,  and  hell 
following,  with  power  to  kill  with  sword  and  with  hunger,  and 
with  death  and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth.  Ten  fiery  perse- 
cutions have  blazed  around  the  church.  Her  martyrs  are  be- 
fore the  throne  of  God.  These  woes  are  past.  But  under  the 
figure  of  a  star  fallen  from  heaven  to  earth,  to  whom  was  given 
the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  who  should  open  that  pit 
and  let  forth  out  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit  swarms  of  locusts,  to 
whom  was  given  power  as  the  scorpions  of  the  earth,  was  de- 
picted another  adversary  who  should  now  arise  and  in  whose 
days  men  would  seek  death  and  not  find  it,  and  desire  to 
die,  and  death  would  flee  from  them. 

Arabia  had  known  but  little  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel. 
Her  people  were  ingenious  and  powerful,  but  groped  in  dark- 
ness. Here  appeared  the  fallen  star.  Here  Mahomet,  the 
wicked  impostor,  opened  the  bottomless  pit,  i.  e.  set  up  a  false 
religion  which  should  darken  the  nations  and  send  forth  a  host 
of  scorpions  which  should  desolate  some  of  the  fairest  portions 
of  Christendom. 

Mahomet  was  originally  a  tradesman.  About  the  year  608, 
he  formed  the  bold  scheme  of  setting  up  a  new  religion  in  the 
earth,  and  becoming  the  head  of  empires.  He  retired  to  a 
cave  in  Mecca,  where,  as  he  pretended,  with  the  assistance  of 
an  angel,  but  really  of  a  Jew  and  a  renegado  Christian,  he 
wrote  the  Koran,  the  only  sacred  book  of  the  Mahometans. 

He  declared  that  there  was  one  God,  and  that  Mahomet  was 
his  prophet.  To  captivate  Jews  and  Christians,  he  allowed 
both  Moses  and  Christ  to  be  true  prophets ;  but  represented 
himself  as  superior  to  both  in  light  and  power  and  sent  of  God 
to  reform  the  systems  they  had  established.  He  compiled  his 
book  from  oriental  tales  and  fables,  from  legendary  trash  of 
rabbles,  and  from  the  Jewish  and  Christian  Scriptures,  and 
made  it  a  strange  compound  of  blasphemy  and  folly.  Flis  ideas 
of  providence  were  those  of  the  fatalist.  He  forbade  the  use 
of  swine's  flesh  and  spirituous  liquors,  and  required  occasional 
fasts  ;  but  his  morality  was  of  the  loosest  character,  allowing 
to  men  the  free  indulgence  of  their  passions  ;  and  he  promised 
to  his  followers  a  carnal  heaven,  where  they  should  spend  an 
eternity  in  the  grossest  sensualities. 

When  he  first  announced  himself  as  the  prophet  of  God,  a 


2f02  mAhometanism.  Period  III: 

storm  rose  against  him  and  he  fled  from  Mecca  to  Medina. 
This  flight  occurred  A.  D.  622,  and  is  called,  by  the  Mahomet- 
ans, the  Hegira ;  and  is  regarded  as  their  grand  epoch. 

An  immense  multitude  soon  adhered  to  the  impostor.  He 
waged  an  exterminating  war  against  all  who  refused  to  receive 
him.  His  proselytes  were  made  by  fire  and  the  sword.  No 
force  or  power  could  withstand  him,  and  before  his  death, 
which  happened  A.  D.  631,  he  was  complete  master  of  all 
Arabia. 

With  him  did  not  end  his  religion.  He  had  opened  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  and  forth  had  issued  deadly  scorpions.  With  a 
zeal  equal  to  their  masters,  his  followers  every  where  spread 
his  licentious  and  bloody  system.  Syria,  Persia,  Egypt  and 
other  countries  fell  under  their  dominion.  Then*  once  iiourish- 
ing  churches,  now  all  found  a  grave.  Jerusalem,  where  David 
had  sung,  and  Isaiah  had  prophesied,  and  our  Lord  was  cruci- 
fied, and  the  Spirit  had  triumphed,  fell  in  637,  before  their  rav- 
ages, and  was  given  up  to  a  long  night  of  dreadful  darkness. 

In  the  year  713  the  Saracens,  as  his  followers  were  called, 
passed  from  Africa  to  Spain,  reduced  to  an  awful  slavery,  those 
Christians  who  had  a  name  to  live,  but  were  dead,  put  an  end 
to  the  kingdom  of  the  Goths,  which  had  continued  for  300 
years,  and  advanced  into  France,  intending  to  overrun  Europe 
and  blot  out  the  Christian  name.  But  to  them  was  given,  only 
"  the  third  part  of  men."  An  opposing  power  met  them  in 
France  between  Tours  and  Poictiers,  A.  D.  734,  under  Charles 
Martel,  and  defeated  them  with  a  tremendous  slaughter,  kil- 
ling 37(^,000  in  one  day. 

In  a  subsequent  period,  they  made  themselves  masters  of  the 
fertile  island  of  Sicily,  and  spread  terror  to  the  very  walls  of 
Rome. 

In  the  East,  they  pushed  their  conquests  to  the  extremities  of 
India,  compelling  every  people  and  nation  to  bow  to  the  cres- 
cent. The  sufferings  of  Christians  wherever  they  came,  were 
exceedingly  great.  They  were  beheld  by  the  Saracens  with 
the  utmost  abhorrence,  and  treated  rather  like  dogs,  than  men. 
Immense  numbers  were  induced  to  embrace  their  religion. 
Those  who  refused,  were  either  slain  or  reduced  to  such  ex- 
tremities, that  the  light  of  Christianity,  which  once  shone  bright 
in  Africa  and  Asia,  was  soon  nearly  extinguished. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  13th  century,  a  new  and  terrible 
power  appeared  in  Asia,  called  the  Ottomans,  from  Othman 
their  leader,  and  now  the  Turks.  They  inhabited  the  Northern 
coast  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  The  Saracens  persuaded  them  to 
embrace  the  religion  of  Mahomet.     Oh  had  some  Christian  mis^ 


Chap.  7.  rise  and  coNdUESTs  op  the  turks.  203 

sionaries  but  spread  among  them  the  light  of  the  Gospel — but 
they  were  deceived  by  the  terrible  impostor.  They  soon  con* 
tended  with  their  teachers,  overthrew  the  whole  Saracen  domin- 
ion, and  became  masters  of  all  that  fair  portion  of  Asia  and  Af- 
rica, which  Mahomet  claimed.  Composed  of  four  sultanies, 
they  were  the  four  Angels  which  were  bound  in  the  river  Eu- 
phrates and  let  loose  to  kill  and  destroy.  Bajazet,  the  third  sov- 
ereign from  Othman,  matured  a  plan  for  extinguishing  the  great 
empire,  and  with  it  the  religion  of  Christ.  But  when  he  was 
just  ready  to  fall  upon  Constantinople,  Tamerlane,  one  of  the 
mightiest  of  monarchs  and  warriors,  who  reigned  over  all  the 
north  and  east  of  Asia,  fell  upon  him  at  the  head  of  a  million  of 
men  ;  destroyed  his  army  ;  took  him  captive,  put  him  in  an 
iron  cage  and  carried  him  for  a  show  through  all  his  dominions. 
But  Tamerlane  with  his  vast  armies  embraced  the  religion  of 
the  false  prophet,  and  treated  the  Christians  in  the  East  with 
the  greatest  severities. 

The  Turks  were  checked,  but  not  destroyed.  They  gradu- 
ally became  formidable  to  the  Christians,  and  about  a  century 
after  this  defeat,  A.  D.  1453,  Mahomet  the  great,  took  Con- 
stantinople and  with  it  all  Greece,  where  Christianity  had  for  a 
long  period  reigned  so  triumphant. 

Such  is  a  brief  history  of  that  terrific  dominion  which  was  let 
loose  in  the  seventh  century,  from  the  bottomless  pit.  It  was 
early  rent  by  violent  factions,  and  there  are  now  two  principal 
sects  of  Mahometans,  who  differ,  concerning  the  right  of  suc- 
cession to  Mahomet ;  the  Sheichs  or  Shiites  who  are  chiefly 
Persians,  and  the  Sonnites,  inhabiting  East  Persia,  Arabia, 
Turkey,  and  Independent  Tartary.  There  are  about  fifteeu 
millions  of  Mahometans  in  Hindostan.  A  new  and  powerful 
Sect  has  recently  sprung  up  in  Arabia,  called  Wahabees,  who 
profess  to  be  reformers.  But  all  the  different  sects  and  factions 
have  ever  united  in  opposition  to  Christianity,  and  given  a  blow 
in  the  Eastern  world  and  in  beautiful  Greece  from  which  it  has 
never  yet  recovered.  It  now  extends  over  Turkey,  Tartary, 
Arabia,  Africa,  Persia  and  the  dominions  of  the  Grand  Mogul,- 
embracing  about  100  millions  of  devoted  subjects.  It  is  an  aw- 
ful mystery  in  the  providence  of  God.  O  why  is  it  permitted  ?" 
When  will  all  these  vast  nations  bow  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  ?  The 
time  is  assuredly  and  rapidly  approaching.  *'  He  that  will  come, 
shall  come,  and  will  not  tarry."  Mahomet  shall  be  dc5tioyed^ 
and  Asia,  Africa  and  Greece  be  free. 


^^04  POPERY.  Period  III 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Prophecies  relating  to  the  Papacy.  Its  gradual  rise.  Grant 
of  Phocas.  Causes  of  the  vast  increase  of  Papal  dominion. 
Ignorance^  Superstition  and  Corruption  of  the  Age.  Tradi- 
tion suhstitutcd  for  the  Bible.  Subjection  of  heathen  Na- 
tions. Subserviency  of  the  Monks.  Papal  Rome  Idolatrous, 
and  a  Temporal  Power,  the  Little  Horn.  Supposed  time 
of  her  Continuance.  Election  of  Popes  Efforts  at  Supreme 
Dominion.  Hildebrand's  Treatment  of  Henry.  Thomas 
a  Bechet.     interdiction.      The  Power  given  to  the  Beast.  ^ 

About  the  same  time  that  Mahometanism  appeared  in  the 
east,  the  Papal  power  arose  in  the  west ;  a  power,  which,  while 
it  pretended  to  support  Christianity,  was  scarcely  less  destruc- 
tive to  vital  godliness. 

This  power,  also,  was  d|scribed  with  wonderful  accuracy, 
acres  before,  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  It  is  the  little  horn 
spoken  of  by  Daniel,  wiiich  should  arise  after  the  ten  horns  and 
speak  great  words  against  the  Most  High,  wear  out  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High,  and  think  to  change  times  and  laws.  It  is 
the  man  of  sin,  \\\\o  Paul  told  the  Thessalonians  should 
be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition,  who  opposeth  and  exalteth 
himself  above  all  that  is  called  God  or  that  is  worshipped,  so  that 
he  as  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  shewing  himself  that 
he  is  God.  It  is  the  Antichrist,  described  by  John ;  the 
terrible  beast  in  the  Revelations,  wliich  opened  his  mouth  in 
blasphemy  against  God,  and  to  whom  it  was  given  to  make  war 
with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them,  and  to  have  power  over 
all  kindreds  and  tongues  and  nations, — the  woman  arrayed  in 
purple  and  scarlet  colour,  upon  whose  forehead  was  a  name 
written — Mystery,    Babylon  the  Great,    the  mother  of 

HARLOTS,  AND  ABOMINATIONS  OF  THE  EARTH." 

The  Mahometan  power  rose  suddenly  and  by  the  sword, 
spread  rapidly  over  the  earth  ;  but  the  Papal  was,  for  more  than 
five  centuries,  coming  to  its  full  grow  th.  It  sprang  out  of  an 
early  violation  of  that  fundamental  principle  of  Christ's  king- 
dom,  which  ought  ever  to  be  sacredly  maintained The 

PERFECT  PARITY  OF  THE  MINISTERS  OF  THE  GoSPEL. 

Of  the  immediate  causes  of  this  violation  we  have  no  certain 
knowledge.  Probably  a  serious  regard  to  the  welfare  of  the 
Church,  induced  the  early  Christians  to  form  en  association  a- 
round  every  metropolis,  and  to  give  a  sort  of  pre-eminence  to 
the  minister  of  Clirist  who  resided  there  :  and  that  soon,  those 


Chap.  8.  axs  msi^.  :lOo 

iTius  elevated  above  tlieir  brethren,  for  prudential  pi^poseS,  claim- 
ed a  superiority  of  office  ;  took  into  their  hands  the  sole  power 
of  ordaining  and  began  to  prescribe,  as  the  delegates  of  Christ, 
rules  of  faith,  and  rites  and  ceremonies.  In  support  of  their 
pretensions  they  shrewdly  plead  the  form  of  the  Jewish  priest- 
hood ;  asserting  that  they  were  the  natural  successors  of  the 
High  priest,  while  the  presbyter's  succeeded  to  the  priests  and 
the  deacons  to  the  Levites. 

In  the  third  century,  we  find  the  bishops  of  Rome,  Antioch 
and  Alexandria,  commanding  great  respect  and  reverence  as 
bishops  of  primitive  and  apostolic  Churches,  and  assuming  a 
place  above  all  other  bishops  ;  and  the  bishop  of  Rome  exerci- 
f?ing  a  pre-eminence  of  order,  though  noX  as  yet  of  power,  over 
the  other  two. 

When  Constantine  made  Christianity  the  religion  of  the  state, 
he  effected  but  little  alteration  in  the  government  of  the  Church. 
The  chief  that  he  did,  was  to  place  himself  at  its  head  and 
make  its  government,  in  some  measure,  like  that  of  the  empire. 
The  four  bishops  of  Rome,  Antioch^  Alexandria  and  Constanti- 
nople, answered  to  his  four  pretorian  prefects ;  under  these  were 
the  exarchs  or  patriarchs,  who  governed  several  provinces  ;  then 
came  the  archbishops,  who  ruled  over  certain  districts ;  then 
the  bishops  of  dioceses  and  pastors  of  churches. 

As  Rome  was  the  emporium  of  the  world,  its  bishopric  in- 
creased perpetually  in  grandeur,  opulence  and  power.  Its  rev- 
<'nues  became  princely.  Its  dependents,  like  those  of  a  mon- 
archy. All  the  splendid  trappingsof  royalty  surrounded  the  in- 
cumbent. He  eat  on  his  throne,  covered  with  sumptuous  gar- 
ments, attracting  the  admiration  of  the  ignorant  multitude.  It 
became,  therefore,  a  most  seducing  object  of  ambition.  "When 
a  new  bishop  was  to  be  elected,  the  whole  city  was  agitated. 
Dissentions,  tumults  and  cabals  were  witnessed,  which  would 
have  disgraced  the  election  of  a  worldly  chieftain. 

But  the  bishop  of  Rome  met  with  a  sudden  and  serious  check 
in  his  progress  toward  spiritual  dominion.  Constantine  had 
removed  the  seat  of  empire  from  Rome  to  Constantinople,  and 
given  the  bishop  of  his  capital  a  rank  equal  to  that  of  any  other 
spiritual  power.  Rome,  however,  did  not  surrender  the  ground 
it  had  taken.  These  two  prelates  at  once  became  rivals.  A 
contest  was  carried  on  for  ages,  which  resulted  in  sundering 
entirely  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches. 

The  former  continued  to  acknowledge  the  dominion  of  the 
bishop  of  Constantinople  ;  but,  from  various  causes,  his  domin- 
ion rather  decreased ;  while  that  of  Rome,  again,  soon  gained 
amazing  strengtji  and  power.      The  bi§hop3  of  Rpme  were/ 

18 


^OQ  POPERY.  Period  IIL 

many  of  them,  men  of  talents  and  vast  ambition.  Leo  1st,  call* 
ed  the  great,  who  flourished  in  the  fifth  century,  was  a  man  of 
uncommon  genius  and  eloquence,  and  indefatigable  in  his  efforts 
for  spiritual  dominion.  Gregory  the  great,  also,  in  the  next 
age,  distinguished  himself  in  a  violent  contest  with  the  bishop  of 
Constantinople  and  in  extending  the  bounds  of  the  See  of  Rome. 
At  length,  in  the  commencement  of  the  seventh  century  the 
emperor  Phocas,  conferred  upon  Boniface  III.  bishop  of  Rome, 
the  title  of  (Ecumenical  or  universal  bishop.  This  title  had 
been  usurped  by  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  ;  but  it  was  now, 
in  this  public  manner,  taken  from  him  and  conferred  upon  the 
bishop  of  Rome  ;  and  this  too  by  one  of  the  most  odious  tyrants 
that  ever  lived.  What  they  had  thus  obtained,  the  Roman 
pontiffs  used  every  effort  to  hold  ;  and  they  did  hold  it — a  power 
which  no  other  earthly  potentate  ever  possessed.  It  is  from  this 
grant  of  Phocas  that  many  date  the  establishment  of  the  Papal 
power,  though  the  most  decisive  marks  of  antichrist,  idolatry 
and  false  doctrine^  did  not  appear  until  a  later  age.  But,  th© 
period  of  her  establishment  was  not  the  period  of  her  full  growth. 
On  the  contrary,  she  was  as  many  centuries  gaining  her  aston- 
ishing dominion,  as  she  had  been  rising  to  the  point  at  which 
we  can  now  view  her.  An  account  of  some  of  the  great  causes 
which  contributed  to  her  enlargement,  and  of  the  various  steps 
by  which  she  marched  on  to  the  summit  of  power,  will  give  a 
general  view  of  the  ecclesiastical  world  from  the  seventh  to  the 
fourteenth  century. 

The  period  before  us,  was  one  of  extreme  ignorance,  super* 
stition  and  corruption. 

The  world  was  sunk  in  Egyptian  darkness.  The  cultivation 
of  the  human  intellect  was  abandoned.  The  incursions  of  the 
barbarous  nations  from  the  north,  had  driven  every  thing  like 
literature,  into  the  cells  of  the  monasteries.  Books  were  un- 
known among  the  common  people  ;  and  had  they  been  known, 
they  would  have  been  useless,  for  few  were  acquainted  with  the 
art  of  reading.  The  great  mass  of  the  clergy  were  incapable  of 
j'eading  the  Apostle's  creed.  Even  the  bishops  in  general  were 
unable  to  compose  any  thing  like  a  sermon,  and  delivered 
to  the  people  insipid  homilies,  which  they  had  taken  from  the 
writings  of  Augustin  and  Gregory.  Such  an  age  was  exceed- 
ingly favourable  to  artful  and  daring  men,  who  continually  made 
pretensions  to  authority  which  few  had  the  ability  to  question. 

It  was  also  an  age  of  deep  superstition.  Men  had  scarce  any 
rational  views  of  religion.  They  had  almost  wholly  lost  sight  of 
the  character  of  God,  and  the  state  of  the  heart,  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ,  and  of  t^ie  duty  which  God  rec^uires  of  man.     Thf: 


Chap.  8.         profits  bv  the  vices  of  the  age,  207 

doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  in  Christ,  waa  almost  as  unknown 
as  at  Athens,  in  the  days  of  Paul.  The  minds  of  men  were 
wholly  turned  to  an  attendance  on  a  multitude  of  rites  and  cere- 
monies as  the  sure  way  of  gaining  heaven.  These,  issuhig 
from  the  papal  throne,  gave  the  popes  an  immense  control  over 
the  heart  and  conscience.  The  multitude  easily  learned  to 
look  up  to  them  as  standing  in  the  place  of  God  and  to  be  hon- 
ored as  God.  And  it  was  a  circumstance  extremely  favourable 
to  the  ambitious  designs  of  the  popes,  that  those  vast  barba- 
rous nations,  which  had  overspread  the  fair  fields  of  Europe, 
had  been  accustomed  to  regard  their  priests  with  an  awful  su- 
perstition, and  to  attribute  to  their  arch-druid  little  less 
than  god-like  power.  Easily  were  such  men  made  to  transfer 
all  this  reverence  to  those  who  officiated  at  Christian  altars,  and 
to  give  to  the  Roman  pontiff  the  authority  and  power  of  the 
arch-druid. 

Above  all,  it  was  an  age  of  awful  corruption.  In  the 
East,  the  Holy  Spirit  had,  to  human  appearance,  ceased  to 
operate.  In  the  West,  there  was  indeed  to  be  found  some 
piety.  God,  in  every  age,  it  is  believed,  has  had  a  people  to 
serve  him.  The  gates  of  hell  have  never  been  suffered  entirely 
to  prevail  against  the  Church  of  Christ.  What  piety  there  was 
however,  was  chiefly  in  nations  remote  from  Rome  and  newly 
converted  ;  though  here  and  there  was  one  to  be  found  in  the 
seal  of  the  beast  who  hai  not  his  mark  in  their  forehead,  and 
who  made  vigorous  opposition  to  him,  and  excited  much  trouble. 
The  spirit  of  prophecy  had  declared  that  through  the  long  night 
of  Popery,  there  should  be  two  witnesses  who  should  prophecy 
in  sackloth.  But  in  general,  the  civilized  world  from  the 
seventh  to  the  fourteenth  century,  was  sunk  in  the  lowest  depths 
of  moral  corruption.  No  law  of  God  requiring  holiness  and  for- 
bidding sin  was  placed  before  men.  Morality  did  not  enter  in- 
to the  religion  of  the  age.  He  who  would  practice  some  rite, 
or  possess  some  relic,  or  pay  a  sum  of  money,  was  assured 
of  heaven,  though  he  were  a  thief  and  a  murderer.  Mankind, 
therefore,  were  left  to  go  fearless  into  eternity,  amid  the  gross- 
est vices ;  while  no  cultivation  of  mind  or  manners  existed  to 
keep  them  above  the  sensualities  of  brutes. 

The  priests  and  bishops  were  a  most  worthless,  stupid  and 
corrupt  race.  They  often  passed  their  lives  in  the  splendour  of 
courts  or  at  the  head  of  soldiers,  and  aspired  to  the  honours  and 
authority  of  Dukes,  Marquises  and  Counts.  Even  the  Roman 
pontiffs,  with  a  few  exceptions,  were  monsters  of  iniquity  ;  who 
sought  the  chair  as  a  place  of  dominion,  and  who  were  perpetu- 
ally guilty  of  the  most  flagitious  wickedness.     In  such  an  age  of 


'208  POPERY,  eeriod  or 

corruption,  what  could  be  expected  but  that  every  law,  human 
and  divine,  would  be  trampled  upon,  and  the  minds  of  men  be- 
come  enslaved  by  the  most  tremendous  tyranny.  Not  more 
certain  is  it,  that  the  river  runs  into  the  ocean,  than  that  licea- 
tiousness  generates  tyranny,  while  holiness  results  in  civil  and 
religious  liberty. 

The  Bible  had,  through  a  cunning  device  of  Satan,  been  sup' 
planted.  The  Popes,  who  were  continually  seeking  control  oi' 
the  spiritual  world,  gave  the  preference  to  human  composition^^ 
above  the  scriptures.  The  opinion  of  some  renowned  doctor, 
handed  down  by  tradition,  the  decision  of  some  council  of  for- 
mer days,  was  regarded  more  than  the  word  of  God.  Hence 
the  Bible  grew  into  disuse.  It  was  really  a  dead  letter,  while 
the  opinions  of  doctors  and  results  of  councils  were  submitted 
to,  as  the  voice  of  God  ; — a  circumstance  which  was  employed 
to  the  establishment  of  the  most  terrible  dominion,  for  the  popes 
were  always  able  to  forge  such  opinions  and  decrees  and  impose 
them  upon  the  people,  as  would  subserve  their  purpose.  Among 
such  forged  papers,  were  the  famous  decretal  epistles  ;  which 
were  said  to  have  been  written  by  the  early  Roman  pontiffs, 
and  Avhich  were  now  brought  forward  with  great  triumph.  By 
these,  the  people  were  made  to  believe  that  the  extravagant  pre- 
tensions of  the  pope  were  no  new  things  ;  but  had  been  com- 
mon, and  had  been  submitted  to  in  the  first  ages  of  Christianity. 

The  efforts  made  to  convert  the  heathen  were  also  subservi- 
ent to  the  enlargement  of  the  dominion  of  the  Roman  pontiffs. 
These  efforts  commonly  originated  with  them,  and  the  converts 
from  Paganism  early  learned  to  look  to  them  as  the  source  oi" 
power  and  goodness.  Some  of  those  who  went  to  preach  among 
the  heathen,  were  indeed,  excellent  men  ;  of  an  entirely  differ- 
ent character  from  the  popes  who  sent  them.  Among  these, 
may  be  mentioned  Willebrod,  an  Anglo-Saxon,  who,  with  elev- 
en associates,  "an  excellent  group,"  spread  the  Gospel  in  the 
seventh  century  through  Bavaria,  Friesland,  Cimbria,  and  Den- 
mark ; — Boniface,  who,  in  the  next  century,  ''  an  age  of  mis^ 
sionaries,"  erected  the  standard  of  truth  in  Germany  ; — Villcr 
had,  called  the  Apostle  of  Saxony  ; — Anscarius,  who,  in  the 
ninth  century,  travelled  among  the  Danes,  Cimbrians  and 
Swedes,  planting  the  Gospel  with  much  success  ; — and  Ber- 
nard, who,  in  the  tenth,  went  to  the  Orkney  islands.  Some 
Greek  missionaries,  also,  who,  in  the  same  century  carried  the 
Gospel  from  Greece  into  Russia,  and  prevailed  on  the  Emperov 
and  Empress  to  receive  Christianity,  and  proclaim  their  country 
Christian — a  daughter  of  the  Greek  church,  were  of  an  excel- 
lent character.     But  many  who  went  out  under  the  patronage 


i 


Chap.  8.  rome  idolatrous.  209 

of  the  Roman  pontiffs  had  no  other  motive  but  to  extend  the 
power  oi'  the  Roman  see  ;  and,  to  effect  their  purpose,  they  not 
unfrequently  resorted  to  force.  Christian  princes  also,  in 
league  with  Rome,  compelled  conquered  tribes  to  acknowledge 
the  dominion  of  the  pope.  The  Pomeranians,  Finlanders,  Scla- 
vonians  and  Livonians,  received  baptism  at  the  point  of  the 
spear. 

But  that  which  contributed  more  than  any  thing  else  to  in- 
crease and  strengthen  the  papal  power,  was  the  reigning  spirit 
of  Monachism.  The  Christian  world  was  deluged  with  Monks. 
Like  the  frogs  of  Egypt,  they  came  up  over  all  the  land  and  en- 
tered into  every  dwelling.  All  these  attached  themselves  to  the 
Roman  see.  The  popes  of  Rome  were  careful  to  patronize 
them,  that  they  might  make  them  tools  of  their  ambition.  Ev- 
ery project  of  the  popes,  whether  right  or  wrong,  was  applauded 
by  them,  and  whoever  called  the  decisions  of  Rome  in  ques- 
tion, was  denounced  by  them  as  enemies  to  God.  Such  a  pow- 
er there  was  no  resisting. 

These  and  other  causes  operated  with  a  continually  incrcas-^ 
ing"  force,  through  several  successive  centuries,  to  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  dominion  of  the  man  of  sin. 

Early  in  the  eighth  century,  the  Roman  church  became  idol- 
atrous. 

God,  an  infinitely  pure  spirit,  has  justly  required  man  to  wor- 
ship him  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  has  solemnly  forbidden  him 
to  make  any  image  or  likeness  of  Him,  or  to  worship  and  bow 
down  before  any  picture  or  statue  representing  Him  or  any  oth- 
er object.  But,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  history  of  idolatry,  men 
so^n  changed  the  incorruptible  God,  into  an  image  made  like 
to  corruptible  man,  worshipped  the  host  of  heaven,  and  unen- 
lightened by  divine  truth,  have  been,  in  this  way,  the  deluded 
votaries  of  Satan  to  the  present  period.  The  Gospel  waged  an 
exterminating  war  against  idolatry  in  every  form  ;  and  we  have 
seen  it  gaining  the  most  astonishing  victories  throughout  the 
vast  Roman  empire.  It  was  the  mightiest  conquest  that  was 
ever  achieved  ;  and  ought  to  be  seriously  contemplated  by  the 
Christian  community,  until  they  are  roused  by  the  view  to  go 
forth  in  their  strength  and  subdue  the  world  to  Christ.  But  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel  had  now  nearly  departed  from  the  earth. 
Amid  the  gross  ignorance  and  superstition  of  the  age,  men  were 
fast  losing  sight  of  the  great  object  of  spiritual  worship.  The 
world  was  preparing  for  a  false  fire  of  devotion.  Satan  knew  his 
time.  He  cast  in  his  seed.  Men  were  not  to  be  made  to  re- 
nounce Christianity  and  go  back  to  the  old  idolatry.  But  the 
arts  of  sculpture  and  painting  were  to  be  introduced  to  aid  in 

18*- 


HO  POPERY.  PERIOD    lU 

tlic  uorsliii)  of  Christ,  the  Apostles  and  canonized  saints  ;  but 
really  to  drive  the  eternal  S})irit  and  divine  Saviour  IVom  the 
juiiuls  ;ind  h(NirtH  of  men. 

From  small  hcirinnings,  proceed  the  mightiest  results.  In- 
Conslantinoplo  was  an  imafrn  of  Christ  on  the  cross.  The  Em- 
peror Leo,  M(3cin^  tiiat  it  vtas  an  object  of  idolatry,  sent  an  ofli- 
cer,  in  the  year  I'M),  to  pull  it  down.  Some  women  there,  re- 
monstrated against  it,  as  horrid  sacrilege.  The  offic(;r,  disre- 
gardiug  tiuur  |)loas,  mounted  aladd(!r  and  cut  the  face  to  pieces 
by  three  blows  of  a  hatcliet ;  when  the  women  threw  down  his 
ladder  and  murdered  the  officer.  Leo  put  the  murderers  to 
death  ;  but  to  this  day  they  are  honored  as  martyrs  in  the  (jireek 
church. 

In  Jlomo,  a  passion  for  idolatry  had  already  commenced  ;  « 
and  no  sooner  was  this  act  of  TiCo's  known  there,  than  the  || 
Mhole  city  was  thrown  into  confusion.  The  Emperor's  statues, 
were  thrown  down  and  trodden  under  foot.  Gregory  IL  was 
Ihen  in  tlu>.  ])apal  chair,  who,  for  the  zeal  he  showed  in  estab- 
Jishing  image  worshij),  and  for  exalting  himself  in  tho  place  of 
God,  has,  by  many,  l)e(!n  called  the  first  Pope  of  Rome,  lie 
exconwnunicated  Leo,  and  made  an  effort  to  have  a  new  Empe- 
ror elected.  The  Italian  j)rovinces,  which  were  subject  to  t\\(^ 
Grecian  em})ire,  rovolted  and  massacred  or  banishe(l  the  impe- 
rial oflicers.  A  civil  war  ensucHl.  The  Emj)eror  issued  orders 
to  have  all  paintings  and  statues  destroyed  ;  and  the  adherents 
of  Rome  w(;re  as  active  in  nndtiplying  and  giving  them  reve- 
rence. Thus  the  Christian  world  was  thrown  into  the  most  vio- 
lent contentions,  which  resulted  in  horrid  crimes  and  assassi- 
nations. Those  who  worshijiped  images,  were  called  Jamodvll 
or  Jconokitrr/',  while  those  who  oppos<Ml  this  worship,  as  gross 
'idolatry,  were  called  Iconnmachi  ami  Ironorlasta;.  j 

But  there  was  not  virtue  and  piety  enough  to  insure  a  long  m 
and  effectual  resistance.  Image  worship  grew  exceedingly  • 
'pOpular  in  the  eastern  churches,  and  it  oidy  n(>cded  the  sanc- 
fioa  of  an  Emperor  to  make  it  universal.  Three  Emperors 
^had  violently  op))osed  it ;  but  Irene,  the  widow  of  the  last. 
oj)enly  favorcjd  it  in  the  year  784.  In  the  year  787,  was  held 
the  second  council  of  Nice,  which  confirmed  the  idolatrous 
worsliip,  and  rendered  it  ecjually  |)r(^vnl(>nt  in  the  East  and  i.n 
the  West.  Souk^  indee<l  had  ihe  boldness  to  o])pose  it.  A 
council  of  {MM)  bisliops  was  held  at  Frankfort,  which  condem- 
4ujd  the  council  of  Nice,  and  the  worsliip  of  images.  Majiy 
of  the  British  churches  execrated  the  same.  Charlemagne, 
the  ruling  potentates  of  Europe,  barely  tolerated  so  great  a  de- 
;j)urture  from  the  purity  and  simjJlicity  of  the  Gospel.     But  tire 


Chap.  8.  rome,  tiijS  little  iioun.  211 

poison  was  deep.     It  had  infected  all  orders  of  men.     Rome 
was  idolatrous; — was  Antichuist. 

Many  plead,  in  vindication  of  ima^re  worship,  as  others  do  of 
l^agan  idolatry,  that  tiie  votaries  are  sincer(;  worshij>pers  of 
God  and  only  einj)loy  these  interveninjnr  paintings,  statues  or 
idols  to  hel[)  their  devotions.  But  on  tlie  most  favourable  sup- 
jmsition,  it  is  all  a  (lir(!ct  violation  of  the  second  cornniandnient, 
and  it  will  generally  he  found  that  there  is  an  idea  of  sanctity 
(Connected  with  the  |)ainting,  wood  or  stone.  It  is  unquestion- 
a])ly  true  that  the  worshij)  of  images  in  the  papal  church,  was 
used  as  a  direct  and  full  substitute  lor  laitli  in  the  atoning  blood 
of  the  divine  Saviour.  This  Scriptural  way  of  salvation  was 
entirely  set  aside,  and  Ik;  who  would  j)ay  his  daily  devotions  to 
some  image  or  statue  of  Christ  or  a  canonized  saint  was  viewed 
as  an  heir  of  life.* 

Victorious  in  thi.s  contest,  Rome  entered  with  great  violence 
into  a  contention  with  the  Eastern  churches,  about  the  proces- 
sion of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  choosing  to  say  that  the  Spirit  proceeds 
from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  while  tlie  others  contended  that 
the  Spirit  proceeds  from  the  Father,  by  or  through  the  Sod. 
About  the  same  time,  a  new  empire  arose  in  the  West  to  which 
the  Roman  bishop  adhered  ;  an  irreparable  breach  was  effect- 
ed between  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches. 

In  the  year  75')^  the  pope  b(!came  a  temporal  prince,  "  the 
little  horn."  For  countenancing  the  dethronement  of  Childe- 
ric  ni.  king  of  France,  and  crowning  Pepin,  Pepin  gave  to  the 
Roman  see  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna,  Penta[)olis,  and  twenty- 
one  cities  and  castles.  Charlemagne,  his  son  and  successor, 
aimed  at  the  empire  of  the  West.  He  accomplished  his  pur- 
pose, went  to  Rome  and  was  crowned  ;  and,  in  return  for  servi- 
ces, ceded  to  the  papal  see^  several  cities  and  provinces,  and 
gave  it  a  subordinate  jurisdiction  over  Rome  and  the;  annexed 
territory — enabling  it  to  become  the  seat  of  wealth  and  magnifi- 
cence. 

But  the  temporal  power  of  the  Roman  jujutiff,  was  never  to 
he  com[)ared  with  its  spiritual.  For  a  long  time,  bishops  and 
councils  endeavoured  to  maintain  some  authority  and  influence, 
but  they  were  ultimately  all  trodden  in  the  dust.  The  Man  oi' 
sin  came,  as  Paul  said  he  would,  **  after  the  working  of  Satan 
with  all  power,  and  signs  and  lying  wonders,  and  with  all  de- 
'Civableness  of  unrighteousneiBS  in  them  that  perish."     He  ai- 


'' It  is  a  striking-  fact,  that  in  the  catechism  of  the  Roman  church, 
the  second  commandmeot  is  omitted;  and  tp  make  the  ten,  the  tfentl^t 
k  divided  into  two. 


Jil2  POPERV.  PERIOD    IIL 

rogatcd  to  himself  god-like  titles  and  attributes,  King  of  kings, 
Universal  Father,  Master  of  the  world  ;  set  himself  above  all 
laws  human  and  div^ine  ;  by  taxes  and  massacres,  he  oppressed 
and  wore  out  the  saints  ;  he  changed  "  times  and  laws,"  ap- 
pointing innumerable  fasts  and  feasts,  new  modes  of  worship 
and  new  articles  of  faith,  and  supporting  himself  by  the  most 
infamous  frauds  and  barefaced  pretensions,  to  miracles.  The 
most  powerful  monarchs  were  powerless  before  him.  Empe- 
rors led  his  horse  and  held  his  stirrup.  Kings  were  stripped  by 
him  of  their  honour  and  power,  and  whole  realms  were  depriv- 
ed of  every  religious  privilege. 

For  refusing  to  surrender  to  him  the  right  of  investiture,  the 
right  .ever  claimed  by  the  princes  of  Europe,  of  conferring  the 
most  important  places  in  the  churches  and  monasteries  upon 
whom  they  pleased,  by  the  ceremony  of  presenting  the  ring  and 
crozier ;  Hildebrand,  Gregory  VII.  a  pope  haughty  and  arro* 
gant  in  the  extreme,  drove  Henry,  emperor  of  Germany  from 
his  throne,  and  compelled  him  in  the  winter  of  1077,  to  cross 
the  Alps,  and  stand  three  days  in  the  open  air  at  the  entrance 
of  the  pontiff's  palace,  with  his  feet  bare,  his  head  uncovered, 
and  no  other  garment  but  a  coarse  woollen  cloth  thrown  around 
his  naked  body,  and  implore  forgiveness  and  a  restoration  to 
bis  dominions. 

For  sanctioning  as  was  supposed  the  violent  death  of  Thomas 
a  Becket,*  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  a  man  who  had  acquired 
by  his  pretended  sanctity,  a  most  amazing  power,  Henry  II. 
king  of  England,  was  compelled  by  pope  Alexander,  to  walk 
barefoot  over  three  miles  of  flinty  road,  with  only  a  coarse  cloth 
over  his  shoulders,  to  the  shrine  of  the  murdered  saint,  where 
eighty  monks,  four  bishops,  abbots  and  other  clergy,  who  were 
present,  whipped  his  bare  back  with  a  knotted  cord,  compelled 
him  to  drink  water  mingled  with  Becket's  blood,  and  to  give 
forty  pounds  a  year  for  tapers  to  burn  perpetually  before  the 
martyr's  tomb. 

For  opposing  him  in  the  appointment  of  an  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  pope  Innocent  IIL  in  the  commencement  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  excommunicated  John,   king  of  England — 


*=  This  murdered  hypocrite  was  canonized  as  a  saint.  His  brains 
were  sent  to  Rome  A  jubilee  was  appointed  for  every  fifty  years, 
when  plenary  indulgence  was  granted  to  all  pilgrims  who  came  to  his 
tomb.  100,000  persons  visited  it  at  once.  The  most  astonishing  mi- 
racles were  tliere  said  to  be  performed  ages  after,  and  a  prayer  was  in- 
troduced into  the  service  of  his  day  for  salvation  through  tiie  merits 
and  blood  of  St.  Thomas  a  Becket.  Such  was  the  deplorable  super- 
stition of  the  age  ! ! 


Chap.  9,  ITS  ajiazIng  domiNiojT.  ^13 

forbidding  all  persons  to  eat,  drink,  or  converse  with  him,  or  do 
him  service ;  absolving  all  his  subjects  from  their  allegiance  ? 
ordering  the  other  monarchs  of  Europe  to  kill  him,  and  laid  the 
whole  kingdom  under  an  interdict,  so  that  every  religious  privi- 
lege was  taken  away  ;  every  church  was  shut ;  no  bell  was 
heard  ;  no  taper  lighted  ;  no  divine  service  performed  ;  no  sa* 
crament  administered  ;  no  priest  was  present,  and  no  funeral 
solemnity  was  allowed  in  the  burial  of  the  dead  ,  and  no  place 
of  interment  was  permitted,  but  the  highways. 

Thus  did  the  popes  take  to  themselves  supreme  dominion. 
The  whole  world  they  claimed  as  their  property,  which  they 
gave  to  whomsoever  they  pleased.  The  inhabitants  of  heathen 
countries  they  treated  as  wild  beasts ;  parcelling  out  them  and 
their  lands  at  their  pleasure.  To  the  kmg  of  Portugal,  the  pope 
granted  all  the  countries  East  of  Cape  Non  in  Africa,  and  to 
the  Spaniards  all  to  the  West  of  it ;  shewing  himself  as  God. 
''  The  nations  gave  their  power  unto  the  beast,  and  they  wor- 
shipped the  beast,  saying.  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast?  Who 
is  able  to  make  war  with  him?" 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Measures  adopted  hy  the  Roman  Pontiffs  to  secure  their  Do- 
minion. They  Jill  all  important  stations.  Increase  their 
Revenues.  Send  out  Legates.  Forbid  Marriage  to  the 
Clergy.  Hoi  I  over  Men  the  Rod  of  Excommunication.  Es-^ 
tablish  the  Inquisition.  Strengthen  Superstition.  Canonize 
Sain  .•^.  Establish  transubstantiation,  purgatory ,  auricular 
confession.  Worship  in  an  unknoivn  Tongue.  Blake  the 
Pope  infallible.  Institute  the  Crusades  and  Miliiary  Or- 
ders. 

The  measures  adopted  by  the  Roman  pontiffs  to  secure  their 
dominion,  were  of  a  character  with  the  unscriptural  and  odious 
tyranny  which  they  exercised. 

They  assumed  to  themselves  the  power  of  filling  all  the  '\m- 
portant  places  in  the  Church ;  of  deposing  and  creating  the 
bishops,  abbots,  and  canons,  at  their  pleasure  ;  so  that  in  time 
there  were  scarce  any  in  office  to  oppose  them  ;  for  such  men 
were  selected  for  these  stations  as  would  be  tools  of  their  am- 
bition. 

They  reserved  to  themselves  the  revenues  of  the  richest  be- 
nefices ;  and,   if  any  kings  or  nobles  or  bishops  had  incurred 


'^14  POPERY.  Period  III. 

their  displeasure,  the  usual  expiation  was  some  large  grant  of 
land  or  money. 

They  sent  legates  into  the  various  provinces,  with  almost 
unlimited  power  to  control  their  spiritual  concerns.  These 
Were  so  many  harpies ;  extorting  money  from  the  people  by  the 
vilest  means  ;  making  impious  sale  of  relics  and  indulgences, 
and  also  of  ecclesiastical  benefices  to  the  highest  bidders.* 

They  commanded  all  priests  to  abstain  from  marriage,  as  in- 
consistent with  the  sanctity  of  their  office  ;  they  held  over  all 
who,  in  any  manner  opposed  them,  the  threat  of  excommunica- 
tion from  the  church;  which,  in  that  age,  was  a  judgment 
tenfold  worse  than  death ;  for  the  whole  community  at  once 
united  in  executing  the  sentence,  some  from  thinking  it  the  sen- 
tence of  God,  others  fearing  that  if  they,  in  the  least,  favoured 
the  excommunicated  person,  they  should  be  subject  to  the  like 
curse. 

But  a  still  more  terrible  scourge  by  which  the  saints  were 
worn  out,  and  the  dominion  of  the  pope  was  maintained,  was 
the  inquisition.  This  was  established  in  the  13th  century  and 
has  continued  a  tremendous  engine  of  power  to  this  day.  It 
was  occasioned  by  the  increase  of  herrtics  as  they  were  called, 
i.  e.  of  men  who  dared  to  think  for  themselves,  call  in  question 
the  power  of  the  pope,  and  view  him  as  the  Antichrist  predicted 
by  John.  These  were  numerous  in  Gaul,  and  Innocent  III. 
sent  some  legates  A.  D.  21)4  to  extirpate  them  root  and 
branch.  These  bloodhounds  having  Dominic  at  their  head, 
were  called  inquisitors  ;  and  so  serviceable  were  they  found  to 
the  papal  cause,  -that  the  pontiffs  established  inquisitors  in 
every  city.  A  tremendous  court  was  erected  by  them,  first  at 
Thoulouse,  and  afterwards  in  the  various  cities,  embracing 
three  inquisitors  or  judges,  a  fiscal  proctor,  two  secretaries,  a 
magistrate,  a  messenger,  a  reviewer,  a  goaler,  an  agent  of 
confiscated  possessions,  several  assessors,  counsellors,  execu- 
tioners, physicians,  surgeons,  doorkeepers,  familiars  and  visit- 
ers, all  of  whom  were  sworn  to  secresy.  By  this  court  men 
were  tried  not  only  for  heresy,  or  opposition  to  the  court  of 
Rome,  but  for  magic,  sorcery,  Judaism  and  witchcraft,  and  ei- 
ther imprisoned  for  life,  or  put  to  the  most  lingering  and  tor: 
menting  death.  To  f^ive  it  authority,  the  Emperor  of.  Germa- 
ny, and  king  of  France  were  induced  to  grant  it  protection  and 
maintenance,  and  to  commit  to  the  flames  such  as  were  pro- 


*  John  xxii.  is  said  to  have  left  in  his  treasury,  five  and  twenty  mil- 
lions of  flori'js,  of  which  eighteen  irillions  were  in  specie,  and  the  rest 
in  plate  and  jewels,  plundered  from  the  subjected  nations. 


Chap.  9.  iKautsiTioN.    «asonizatioN/  215 

nounced  by  the  inquisitors  worthy  of  death.  Thus  was  the  in* 
quisition  established,  the  guardian  of  superstition,  a  most  hor- 
rible tribunal,  an  engine  of  death,  indsecribably  terrific,  which 
has  done  more  than  any  thing  else  to  keep  whole  nations  in 
subjection  to  the  papal  dominion,  and  has  shed  an  ocean  of  in- 
nocent blood. 

Holding  emperors  and  kings  in  subjection,  the  popes  also 
frequently  called  out  monarchs  with  their  armies  to  subdue  the 
rebellious  and  keep  the  world  in  bondage. 

But  men  were  bound  by  stronger  chains  than  these.  Fell 
superstition  was  increased  by  every  art  and  device,  until  reason 
was  lost,  and  the  world  raved  in  an  awful  mania.  With  the 
utmost  hardihood,  and  a  success  which  is  altogether  unac- 
countable, the  pontiff  and  monks  continually  imposed  upon  the 
credulity  of  the  multitude,  })y  presenting  to  them  pretended 
relics  of  ancient  saints,  a  scull,  a  finger,  a  jaw,  a  bone,  or  a 
tooth.  They  even  held  up  to  the  admiring  crowd,  the  clothes 
in  which  Christ  was  wrapped  in  his  infancy ;  pieces  of  the 
manger  in  which  he  was  laid,  of  the  cross  on  which  he  was 
hung,  of  the  spear  which  pierced  his  side,  of  the  bread  which 
he  brake  at  the  last  supper,— yea,  portions  of  the  virgin  Mary's 
milk,  and  of  the  Saviour's  blood. 

Having  induced  them  to  adore  the  relic,  it  was  easy  to  lead 
them  to  adore  the  spirit  of  the  saint,  and  hence  proceeded  the 
work  of  Canonization. 

The  deluded  and  the  fanatical  had  long  been  accustomed  to 
have  a  particular  patron  among  the  eminent  saints  who  had  de. 
parted  from  earth.  The  principle  existed  in  the  heathen  idol- 
atry. The  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome  were  deified  heroes. 
Papal  Rome  had  become  pagan,  and  she  must  have  her  tutela- 
ry divinities.  Every  man  must  have  one  for  himself,  from  the 
degrading  supposition  that  one  was  incapable  of  saving  two 
persons.  These  saints  virtually  took  the  place  of  Christ  as  me- 
diators between  God  and  man.  They  were  supposed  to  be 
able  to  avert  dangers,  and  heal  maladies,  and  keep  off  evil  spir- 
its, and  fit  the  soul  for  heaven.  The  pontiffs  profited  by  this 
new  proneness  to  idolatry,  and  decreed  that  no  deceased  per- 
son should  be  considered  a  saint,  unless  canonized  by  them. 
This  threw  an  immense  power  into  their  hands.  They  made 
the  tutelary  gods  of  the  deluded  people  ;  and  often  made  them, 
as  in  the  case  of  Thomas  a  Becket,  of  those  who  had  beeii 
their  greatest  minions.  The  first  that  was  formally  sainted  by 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  was  Udalric,  bishop  of  Auffsburff  in  the 
tenth  century. 

At  the  head  ©f  the  papal  mythology  was  placed  the  Virgiii 


"216  I'OPERY.  Period  III/ 

Mary.  The  world  were  led  to  look  to  hev  with  an  amazing 
Veverence.  She  was  represented  as  conceived  in  the  eternal 
imind,  before  all  creatures  and  ages  ;  born  without  sin  ;  her 
most  holy  body,  then  dead,  as  translated  to  heaven.  Her  im- 
age was  in  every  temple.  Christ  could  be  approached  only 
through  her  mediation.  She  was  adored  under  numberle^^ 
titles.  In  honor  of  her  were  instituted  the  Rosary  and  the 
Crown.  The  former,  consisted  in  fifteen  repetitions  of  the 
Lord's  prayer  and  an  hundred  and  fifty  salutations  of  the  bles- 
sed Virgin.  The  latter,  in  six  or  seven  repetitions  of  the  Lord's 
prayer,  and  six  or  seven  times  ten  salutations  or  Ave  Marias. 
The  house  in  which  she  lived  at  Nazareth,  was  said  to  be  ta- 
ken up  by  four  Angels  and  carried  to  Loretto,  where  it  was  vis- 
ited by  unnumbered  pilgrims.  The  fraud  was  sanctioned  by 
several  successive  popes.  In  1476,  indulgences  were  granted 
to  all  who  would  celebrate  an  annual  festival  in  honour  of  the 
•immacculate  conception  of  the  blessed  Virgin. 

Church  vied  with  church  in  pictures,  images,  statues  of  the 
canonized  saints,  especially  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  enormous 
prices  were  paid  for  supposed,  and  in  most  cases,  false  relics  of 
them  ;  the  sight  of  which  drevv^  vast  numbers,  and  no  small 
«ain,  to  the  churches  which  held  them. 

Festival  had  been  added  to  festival,  until  the  people  groaned 
under  them  ;  but  in  1300,  Boniface  VIII  instituted  the  famous 
Jubilee.  All  who  repaired  to  Rome  every  hundredth  year,  con- 
fessing their  sins,  received  absolution.  This  added  so  much  to 
the  power  and  wealth  of  Rome,  that  it  was  soon  celebrated  ev- 
ery fiftieth  year,  and  is  now  every  five  and  twentieth  with  great 
pomp  and  magnificence. 

The  popes  strengthened  themselves  also,  by  an  abuse  of  the 
sacrament.  In  the  year  831,  a  monk  named  Pascasius  Rad- 
bert,  advanced  t!ie  strange  sentiment,  that  the  bread  and  wine 
flsed  in  the  Lord's  supper,  was,  by  consecration,  converted  into 
the  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  was,  actually, 
the  same  as  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  as  suffered  on  the 
cross  and  was  raised  from  the  dead.  The  doctrine  was  too  ab- 
surd and  monstrous  to  be  immediately  received  even  in  that 
gross  age,  and  met  with  general  disapprobation.  It  was  how- 
ever a  monstrous  doctrine  and  that  was  sufficient  to  ensure  it  a 
reception  with  some.  Warm  altercations  ensued.  The  most 
odious  tenets  were  charged  upon  each  other  by  the  contending 
parties.  Some  of  the  popes  saw  it  would  exalt  the  priesthood  ; 
for  if  the  meanest  priest  could  convert  bread  and  wine  into  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  what  must  be  the  power  of  the  sove- 
reign pontiff  ?  and  when  it  was  broTight  before  the  fourth  Late- 


CllAP.    9.  TRANSUBSTANTIATlOxV.      PURGATORY.  ^1^ 

ran  council  in  1215,  it  was  declared  by  Innocent  III.  to  be  a 
doctrine  whose  belief  is  necessary  to  salvation.  Thus  was  the 
doctrine  ofTRANsuBSTANTiAxioN  introduced,  which  has  remained 
popular  and  amazingly  exalted  the  Roman  Clergy  in  the  eyes 
of  the  people  to  this  day. 

From  this  proceeded  the  thin  wafer,  which  the  Catholics  use 
in  the  sacrament,  that  no  part  of  the  precious  body  of  Christ 
may  be  lost  ;  and  the  prohibition  of  the  wine  to  the  laity — for 
if  the  bread  is  the  real  body  of  Christ  it  contains  his  blood  and 
the  wine  is  superfluous,  and  should  not  be  wasted  ;  only  it 
might  be  used  by  the  priests,  who  need  a  double  portion. 
Communion  in  one  kind  however,  was  never  fully  established 
until  the  meeting  of  the  council  of  Constance.  The  procession 
of  the  Host  followed.  When  the  sacrament  was  to  be  adminis- 
tered to  the  sick,  the  priest  was  ordered  to  carry  the  host  or 
bread  iu  procession,  clothed  with  his  proper  garments  and  lights 
borne  before  him.  To  complete  the  structure  of  superstition, 
tlie  Festival  of  the  Holy  Sacrament  was  instituted  1264  ;  as 
ordained  by  heaven,  "  to  repair  all  the  crimes  of  which  men 
might  be  guilty,  in  the  other  masses." 

They  laid  hold  too  of  the  natural  fears  of  men  respecting  the 
future  state  of  the  soul.  They  cunningly  invented  and  imposed 
upon  tiie  world  tlie  belief  that  as  saints  had  some  imperfections, 
they  were  not  immediately  to  be  admitted  into  heaven,  but 
were  located,  for  a  time,  in  a  place  so  near  the  abode  of  the 
Vvicked,  that  they  should  feel  the  heat  of  the  flames  of  hell  until 
they  were  sufiiciently  purified  for  heaven.  Over  this  place, 
called  Purgatory,  the  popes  pretended  to  have  power.  They 
tleclarcd  that  an  immense  treasure  of  merit,  consisting  of  the 
unnecessary  blood  of  Christ,  which  had  been  shed,  of  the  unne- 
cessary good  works  of  saints,  which  were  called  works  of  su- 
pererogation, had  been  committed  to  them  to  be  dispensed  for  the 
release  of  such  as  were  confined  in  that  dreadful  region,  for  anj 
number  of  years  as  they  should  see  fit.  To  those  who  could 
not  obtain  release  by  any  pilgrimage  or  service,  the  popes,  in 
the  plenitude  of  their  benevolence,  granted  indulgences  for  cer- 
tain sums  of  money,  which  should  go  into  the  papal  treasury. 
The  people  were  not  only  permitted  to  buy  their  own  deliver- 
ance, but  the  deliverance  of  their  friends.  And  to  induce  them 
to  do  this,  pictures  representing  the  souls  of  individuals  welter- 
ing in  fire,  were  exposed  in  churches.  Fraternities  of  monks 
were  established,  to  wander  through  Europe  sind  beg  and  plead 
for  them, 

19 


r218  POPERY.  Period  IIL 

Yea,  they  went  farther,  and  claimed  as  the  representative  of 
St.  Peter,  the  control  of  the  keys  of  heaven  and  hell.  Whose- 
soever sins  were  remitted  by  the  pope  and  his  clergy,  were  re- 
mitted to  them.  The  priests  thus  became  confessors  ;  and  if 
any  failed  to  confess  to  them  their  sins  and  receive  absolution 
they  were  to  perish  forever.  This  became  a  source  of  immense 
power  and  wealth ;  made  men  sin  fearlessly  ;  and,  as  the  cler- 
gy lived  in  a  state  of  celibacy,  produced,  throughout  the  catholic 
countries,  the  most  debased  state  of  mo'.als.  Absolution  from 
the  future  punishment  of  the  most  atrocious  crimes,  was  fixed 
at  a  few  shillings.  A  man  might  rob  and  murder  his  neigh- 
bour, go  to  his  priest,  receive  pardon,  and  feel  wholly  at  ease 
in  his  conscience,  and  have  no  fear  of  a  future  punishment  for 
his  deeds. 

Moreover,  to  hold  the  people  in  perpetual  bondage,  the  Ro- 
man pontiffs  forbad  the  worship  of  God  in  any  language  which 
the  people  could  understand  ;  requiring  the  use  of  the  Latin 
tono-ue  which  had  become  obsolete  throughout  all  the  churches. 
The  Bible  being  supplanted  by  tradition,  became  a  rare  and 
nep-lected  book,  and  the  light  of  heaven  was  completely  extin- 
guished. 

They  finally  declared  the  Roman  church  infallible.  Its  decis- 
ions, its  decrees,  were  alwp^ys  right,  how  absurd  and  contradic- 
tory soever  to  plain  common  sense,  to  matter  of  fact,  or  to  one 
another  they  might  be.  Some  ascribed  this  infallibility  to  the 
popes,  others  to  a  general  council  ;  but  the  minds  of  the  people 
at  large,  fully  believed  it  was  committed  to  the  catholic  church, 
and,  as  this  was  governed  by  the  pope,  it  placed  him  in  the 
seat  of  God,  and  gave  him  a  kind  of  Omnipotent  power. 

Out  of  the  superstition  of  the  age  arose  the  Crusades  or  at- 
tempts to  rescue  Jerusalem  from  the  hands  of  the  Mahometans. 
The  Roman  pontiffs  were  not  backward  to  improve  these  wild 
and  mad  undertakings,  for  the  increase  of  their  own  power.  Je- 
rusalem was  taken  by  the  Saracens,  A.  D.  637.  The  Chris- 
tians, who  remained  there,  were  treated  by  them  with  the 
greatest  cruelties.  These  cruellies  were  witnessed  by  pilgrims 
from  Europe,  who,  on  their  return,  excited,  by  tiieir  relations, 
the  general  indignation  of  all  Chistian  nations.  A  general  ex- 
pectation prevailed  throughout  Europe  in  the  tenth  century, 
that,  at  the  close  of  a  thousand  years,  Christ  would  come  to 
reign  on  eaith,  and  would  fix  the  seat  of  his  empire  at  Jerusa- 
lem. It  produced  an  unusual  panic.  As  the  period  drew 
near,  men  left  their  employments,  abandoned  their  connexions, 
devoted  themselves  and  their  property  to  the  churches  and  mon- 
asteries.    Storms,  earthquakes  and  eclipses,  were  viewed  as 


ClIAP.    D.  CRUSADES.       PETER   THE    HERMIT.  SllO 

the  immediate  forerunners  of  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  caused 
a  complete  abandonment  of  the  cities.  Private  and  public 
buildings,  palaces  and  churches,  were  suffered  to  go  to  decay 
as  no  longer  useful.  Multitudes  were  desirous  of  hastening  to 
Jerusalem,  and  witnessing  the  descent  of  Christ,  and  it  was 
thought  the  duty  of  all  Christians  to  unite  in  chastising  and  ex- 
pelling those  barbarous  infidels  from  the  holy  City,  and  reliev- 
ing  the  persecuted  and  oppressed,  and  thus  preparing  the  city 
for  her  King. 

The  first  effort  to  rouse  Christendom  to  the  subject,  was 
made  by  Pope  Sylvester  II.  who,  in  the  tenth  century,  address- 
cd  an  epistle  to  the  church  universal,  as  from  the  oppressed 
church  in  Jerusalem,  calling  for  immediate  relief.  But  little 
however,  was  effected,  until  the  close  of  the  eleventh  century. 
About  that  time,  Peter,  a  hermit,  who  had  been  in  military 
life,  and  had  seen  the  miseries  of  the  Christians  in  the  East, 
wrapt  in  a  coarse  garment,  his  head  bare,  his  feet  naked,  rode 
through  Europe  on  an  ass,  bearing  a  weighty  crucifix  and  a 
letter  which  he  affirmed  was  wTitten in  heaven,  and  preaching  to 
immense  crowds  in  streets  and  churches,  and  roused  all  the  na- 
tions to  an  holy  war.  The  popes  used  every  artifice  to  increase 
the  excitement  made  by  the  Hermit,  and  increase  the  number 
of  spiritual  soldiers.  A  plenary  indulgence,  a  full  absolution  of 
their  sins,  was  granted  t  >  all  who  should  enlist.  Amazing 
were  the  results.  An  immense  multitude,  computed  at  not  less 
than  800,000,  from  the  various  nations  of  Europe,  under  illus- 
trious commanders,  set  forth  in  the  year  1090,  to  recover  Jeru- 
salem from  the  hands  of  the  infidels.  It  was  a  motley  assem- 
blage of  nobles,  soldiers,  monks,  nuns,  artists,  labourers,  boys 
and  girls,  pressinj^^  forward  ;  some,  from  pious  motives,  some, 
from  the  hope  of  gaining  heaven,  (for  ail  who  fell  in  battle,  were 
assured  of  a  high  seat  in  the  regions  of  bliss,)  and  many  from 
the  prospect  of  spoil,  of  making  their  fortunes  in  the  rich  fields 
of  Asia.  Never  was  such  enthusiasm  felt  on  any  subject.  But 
a  miserable  fatality  awaited  the  greater  part  of  these  adventur- 
ers ;  for  acting  more  like  an  undisciplined  band  of  robbers, 
than  Christians,  they  incensed  agamstthem  the  nations  through 
which  they  marched,  and  were  amazingly  wasted  away  by  fa- 
mine, sword  and  pestilence,  before  tlicy  reached  the  Saracen 
dominions.  Such  of  the  rabble  as  passed  into  Asia  under  Pe>- 
ter  the  hermit,  were  cut  to  pieces  by  Solyman.  The  disciplin- 
ed soldiers  however,  were  more  successful,  and,  in  the  year  1099, 
became  masters  of  the  holy  City,  under  Godfrey  of  Bouillon, 
who  immediately  laid  the  foundations  of  a  new  kingdom.  Such 
was  the  termination  of  the  first  crusade  or   croisade  as  it  was 


'^20  POPERY.  Period  III 

called,  ill  the  French  language,  because  its  object  was  to  ex- 
tend the  triumphs  of  the  cross,  and  every  soldier  wore  a  conse- 
crated cross  of  various  colours  upon  his  right  shoulder. 

No  sooner,  however,  had  the  vast  multitude  returned  to  Eu- 
rope than  the  Saracens  fell  upon  the  new  kingdom  at  Jerusa- 
lem, threatening  it  with  an  utter  extermination.  A  new  crusade 
was  demanded  to  support  the  tottering  empire  ;  and,  in  the 
year  1147,  another  torrent  was  seen  pouring  into  the  plains  of 
Asia.  This  was  headed  by  the  two  powerful  monarchs,  Conrad 
ill.  emperor  of  Germany,  and  Lewis  VII.  king  of  France  ;  but 
it  was  wholly  unsuccessful.  By  sword,  by  famine,  by  shipwreck 
and  the  perfidy  of  the  Greeks,  they  were  wasted  away,  and  the 
next  year  a  miserable  handful  were  seen  retreating  into  Europe. 
The  Saracens  took  courage,  and,  in  the  year  1187,  recaptured 
Jerusalem,  with  horrible  carnage  and  desolation. 

The  fanatical  spirit,  however,  was  not  destroyed.  It  raged 
throughout  two  centuries.  A  third,  a  fourth,  a  fifth,  and  a  sixth 
crusade,  were  undertaken  by  the  champions  of  the  cross;  and, 
as  the  final  result,  the  Christians  lost  all  footing  in  Judea,  above 
two  millions  of  lives  and  an  incalculable  treasure.  Never  were 
such  wild  and  extravagant  enterprizes  undertaken  by  any  of 
the  children  of  Adam.  They  were  fit  to  proceed  out  from  the 
age  of  deepest  superstition  and  midnight  darkness. 

Some  good  and  much  evil  resulted  from  them.  No  doubt 
their  ci\'i\  effects  were  extremely  advantageous.  They  awoke 
the  nations  from  the  slumber  of  ages.  They  set  mankind, 
bound  down  under  a  most  terrible  despotism,  in  motion.  They 
made  tribes  and  people,  wholly  unacquainted,  known  to  each 
other,  and  gave  the  unpolished  nations  of  the  north  and  west  a 
knowledge  of  the  refinement  and  art^  of  the  east.  They  did 
much  therefore  indirectly  to  the  production  of  a  revolution  in 
the  religious  world.  They  were  among  the  earliest  causes  of 
the  rise  of  civil  and  religious  freedom.  But  their  immediate 
effects  upon  the  religious  and  moral  state  of  the  world  were 
deplorable  in  the  extreme.  They  augmented  amazingly  the 
power  and  authority  of  the  Roman  pontiffs.  These  became,  at 
once,  the  military  commanders  of  the  European  world.  Empe- 
rors and  kings  were  but  subordinate  officers  in  these  tremen- 
dous armies.  They  enriched  beyond  all  calculation  the  Ro- 
man See,  churches  and  monasteries ;  for  to  them  the  pious 
crusaders  bequeathed  their  lands,  houses  and  money  ;  and,  as 
few  of  them  ever  returned,  they  became  their  lawful  possessors. 
Their  demoralizing  influence  was  such  as  no  tongue  can  tell. 
The  professedly  pious  world  turned  into  a  lawless  banditti,  and 
under  pretence  of  extending  the  triumphs  of  the  cross,  abandon 


Chap.  0.  military  ordeus.  221 

ed  themselves  to  the  most  flagitious  and  abominable  crimes 
without  any  shame  or  remorse.  If  they  went  from  home,  a 
crowd  of  pretended  saints,  they  came  back  desperate  villains. 

ouch  an  opportunity  the  cunning  pontiffs  and  monks  did  not 
lose  to  strengthen  the  superstition  of  the  age.  An  army  of  dead 
mens'  bones,  of  the  relics  of  all  the  saints  from  the  martyr  Ste- 
phen down  to  the  latest  age,  was  brought  by  the  returning  cru- 
sades from  the  tombs  of  Asia,  and  most  carefully  deposited  in 
all  the  temples  and  monasteries  of  Europe.  The  Greeks  and 
the  Syrians  knew  how  to  impose  upon  the  ignorance  and  super- 
stition of  the  French,  the  English  and  the  Germans,  and  sold 
them  these  pretended  relics  at  the  highest  prices.  They  were 
considered  as  the  no!;lest  spoils,  compensating  for  all  the  toil, 
expense  and  bloodshed  of  these  wild  enterprizes. 

The  Crusades,  too,  gave  rise  to  three  military  orders  in  the 
Clmrch  of  Christ.  These  were  called  the  knights  of  St.  John, 
of  Jerusalem,  the  Knights  Templars,  and  the  Teutonic  Order. 
Their  general  business  was  to  support  and  extend  Christianity, 
to  protect  the  pious  pilgrims  of  Jerusalem  against  the  Mahom- 
etans and  all  foes,  and  to  assist  and  relieve  all  wounded  and 
needy  soldiers.  These  orders  indeed  sustained  for  a  while  their 
great  and  gooil  fathers,  the  Roman  p(/ntiffs,  but  they  so  in- 
creased in  wealth,  in  vice  and  savage  barbarity,  that  the  nations 
could  not  endure  them.  Some  were  suppressed  by  the  arm  of 
power,  others  were  abandoned  at  the  light  of  reformation. 

Thus  have  we  taken  a  view,  not  of  the  true  Church  of  Christ, 
but  of  the  "  Man  of  sin,"  of  the  terrible  beast  which  opened 
his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  and  to  whom  it  was  given 
to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them,  and  to  have 
power  over  all  kindreds  and  tongues  and  nations.  We  have 
seen  its  rise,  the  extent  of  its  power,  and  the  artful  means  by 
which  it  strengthened  itself  in  its  terrible  dominion.  For  near 
ten  centuries  it  held  all  Europe,  and  has  for  a  much  longer  pe- 
riod, many  of  its  countries,  ni  the  most  horrid  bondage. 

For  a  long  time  the  bishops  of  Rome  were  chosen  by  tho 
suffrages  of  the  whole  Roman  people  ;  but  in  consequence  of 
the  rage  and  violence  of  contending  factions,  the  choice  was 
taken  out  of  their  hands  and  committed  to  a  small  number  of 
men  called  Cardinals,  and  even  the  approbation  of  the  emperor, 
once  requisite,  was  soon  rejected  and  despised.  Some  distin- 
guished monk  was  commonly  raised  to  the  papacy.  Sometimes 
opposing  factions  elected  two  popes,  when  bitter  contentions 
ensued.  In  855,  it  is  said,  a  woman  disguised  as  a  man,  had 
the  art  to  gain  an  election  to  the  papal  chair,  and  governed  the 
Church  for  two  years.     She  is  known  by  the  title  of  Pope  Joaru 

19* 


•>2*2  TWO  WITNESSES.  Period  III. 

Many  of  the  popes  reigned  but  a  few  months,  and  most  of  them 
but  a  few  years.  The  number  of  bishops  and  popes  who  have 
filled  the  See  of  Rome,  is  250.  John  XIL  first  introduced  the 
practice  in  95G,  followed  by  all  his  successors  of  changing  their 
name  when  chosen  to  the  papacy. 

The  papists  flattered  themselves  that  their  dominion  would  be 
forever.  But  the  trump  of  prophecy,  ages  ago,  proclaimed  its 
end.  Daniel  says,  it  shall  continue  "  a  time  and  times,  and 
the  dividing  of  time."  John  gives  its  duration  "  forty  and  two 
months,"  and  "  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days." 
All  these  are  the  same  period,  1260  years.  For  a  time  signi- 
fies a  year.  A  time  and  times  and  the  dividing  of  time,  are 
three  years  and  an  half;  which,  according  to  the  ancient  Jew- 
ish year  of  12  months  of  30  days  each,  is  equal  to  42  months  or 
1260  days.  If  then,  the  establishment  of  popery  was  at  the 
grant  of  Phocas,  in  A.  D.  666,  it  will  come  to  its  end  before 
the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century.  But  if  it  was  at  the  rise 
of  image  worship  and  the  little  horn,  it  will  not  cease  until  2000 
years  from  the  birth  of  Christ. 

Thanks  be  to  God,  the  power  is  already  broken.  Thanks  be 
to  God,  the  Bible  was  preserved  through  the  long  night  of  dark- 
ness, and  has  been  brought  forth  pure  and  uncorrupt  to  bless 
mankind.  Every  step  in  the  history  of  the  reformation  will  call 
for  the  warmest  expressions  of  gratitude  and  praise. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Two  loiimsses,  predicted  hy  John.  Their  Character.  TVIii/ 
said  to  be  two.  Their  History  obscure.  Traced  out  in  cm 
age  of  darkness.  Leo  and  Cmstantine.  Council  of  Con- 
stantinople and  Frankfort.  Alcuin.  Council  of  Paris. 
Rabanus  and  Scotus.  Claudius  of  Turin.  GoteschaJcus. 
Council  at  Trosly,  Athelstan,  Afric,  Arnulphus.  Witnessed 
in  France  and  England.  Watdenses.  Peter  Waldo.  John 
Wickliff  and  his  folloicers.  William  Sautre.  John  Badby . 
Lord  Cobham.  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of  Prague.  Their 
adherents  and  followers.  The  Hussite  War.  Brethren  and 
Sisters  of  the  Free  Spirit. 

hi  the  revelations  to  John,  in  which  the  Papal  power  was  so 
clearly  predicted,  we  are  presented  with  two  Witnesses,  who 
are  to  prophecy  in  sackloth,  during  the  continuance  of  the 


ClIAP.    lO.  WHY  SAID  TO  BE  TWO.  ^'23 

^and  corruption.  By  these,  it  is  supposed,  arc  designated  tho 
true  followers  of  Christ ;  who  should,  from  age  to  age,  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  truth.  They  are  said  to  be  two ;  a  small,  but  com- 
petent number ;  the  number  required  as  suitable  testimony  by 
the  law  and  the  gospel.  "  In  the  mouth  of  two  witnesses  shall 
every  word  be  established."  Their  history  therefore,  is  that  of 
the  true  church,  while  the  history  of  popery  is  that  of  a 
monstrous  corruption.  But  it  is  a  history  almost  entirely  hid- 
den from  us,  in  some  periods ;  because  the  number  of  real 
Christians  was  exceedingly  small,  and  because  they  were  per- 
secuted and  trodden  down  and  without  the  means  of  giving  their 
own  history  to  a  future  age. 

Amid  the  ravages  of  Mahometanism,  Christianity  early  ex- 
pired in  Africa  and  the  East.  Constantinople  remained  a  Chris- 
tian city  until  the  fifteenth  century;  but,  as  early  as  the  tenth, 
we  find  scarce  any  vestiges  of  piety  among  the  Greeks.  The 
witnesses  to  the  truth,  the  men  of  piety,  v.ho  abhorred  the  man 
of  sin,  and  who  formed  the  connecting  link  between  the  early 
Christians  and  the  reformers,  were  chiefly  to  be  found  in  the 
western  or  latin  Church.  The  emperors  Leo  Isauricus  and 
Constantine  Copronymus,  and  the  council  of  Constantinople, 
however,  are  not  to  be  forgotten  for  the  bold  stand  they  took 
in  the  eighth  century,  against  the  worship  of  images,  and  the 
intercession  of  saints — the  first  great  defection  of  the  R'  man 
church.  With  them  may  be  connected  Charlemagne  and  the 
council  of  Frankfort,  who,  in  794,  condemned  in  the  West,  the 
same  abominations.  Alcuin,  an  Englishman  and  Paulinus  an 
Italian  bishop,  in  the  same  age,  raised  their  voice  agains*  the 
rising  errors.  The  Paulicians,  though  they  held  to  some  errors, 
bore  witness  against  the  errors  of  the  seventh  and  eighth  cen- 
turies. 

In  the  ninth  century,  several  princes  warmly  remonstrated 
against  the  increasing  power  of  the  pope  and  the  worship  of 
images.  Lewis,  the  pious,  held  a  council  at  Paris,  A.  D.  824, 
which  forbad  that  worship.  Agobard,  archbishop  of  Lyons^ 
wrote  against  it.  Rabanus  and  Johannes  Scotus,  the  two  most 
learned  men  of  the  age,  vigorously  opposed  the  new  doctrine  of 
transubstantiation.  But  no  man  so  powerfully  stemmed  the 
torrent  of  superstition  as  Claudius,  Bishop  of  Turin.  He  op- 
posed the  supremacy  of  the  pope,  the  doctrine  of  merit  and  tran- 
substantiation, and  the  worship  of  images ;  preached  the  pure 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  those 
churches,  which,  long  after,  flourished  in  the  vallies  of  Pied- 
mont. He  was  a  bright  light,  in  an  age  of  great  darkness.  In 
Germany,  Goteschalcus,  bore  witness  to  the  doctrines  of  pre- 


Q^i  TWO   WITNESSES.  f ERIOP    III, 

destiaatioil  and  grace  ;  defended  them  with  great  ability ;  was 
lieard  with  deep  attention,  but  was  publicly  condemned,  whip- 
ped and  eonfined  in  a  loathsome  dungeon  until  he  died,  A.  D. 
869. 

The  tenth  century,  was,  as  the  Papists  acknowledge,  an  iron, 
a  leaden^  an  obscure  age.  "  Then,"  says  Baronius,  their  chief 
annalist,  "  Christ  was  in  a  very  deep  sleep,  when  the  ship  was 
covered  with  waves  ;  and  what  seemed  worse,  when  the  Lord 
was  thus  asleep,  there  were  wanting  disciples,  who,  by  their 
cries,  might  awaken  him,  being  ti.emselves,  all  fast  asleep." 
The  Church  then  sunk  to  its  very  lowest  depression.  Yet  the 
witnesses  lived.  Some  few  pious  men  were  carrying  the  Gos- 
pel to  the  heathen  and  others  were  found  dechiming  against 
the  abominations  of  popery.  A  council  at  Trosly,  in  France, 
witnessed  a  good  confession.  Athelstan  caused  the  scriptures 
to  be  translated  into  the  Anglo-Saxon  idiom,  and  Afric  wrote 
against  transubstantiatio  i.  Arnulphus  "  a  Luther  in  embryo" 
president  of  a  council  at  Rhiems,  ventured,  even  then  to  call 
the  Pope  Antichrist,  sitting  in  the  ttmple  of  God. 

The  eleventh  century  differed  little  from  the  tenth.  It  was 
almost  equally  sunk  in  wickedness  and  ignorance.  The  pope 
reigned  with  a.bsolute  and  awful  sway.  But  there  were  some 
pious  people  in  France,  who  ventured  to  deny  the  doctrine  of 
transubstantiation,  and  the  propriety  of  praying  to  martyrs  and 
confessors.  Thirteen  of  them  were  burnt  alive,  A.  D.  1017. 
Others  appeared  in  Flanders,  who  came  from  Italy,  disciples  of 
Gundulphus,  wiio  denied  the  papal  doctrines.  Berangarius  of 
Tours,  wrote  against  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence,  and  had 
many  followers  in  France,  Italy  and  England.  A  decree  of  the 
pope,  commanding  celibacy  among  the  clergy,  met  with  great 
opposition,  throughout  Germany,  as  unscriptural. 

In  the  twelfth  century,  new  light  dawned  upon  the  Church. 
New  and  powerful  witnesses  appeared  for  the  truth.  In  Eng- 
land, the  constitution  of  Clarendon,  forbidding  all  appeals  to 
the  pope  of  Rome,  without  the  king's  license,  were  sworn  to 
by  the  clergy  and  laity.  Bernard,  inveighed  loudly  against  the 
corruptions  of  popery.  Fluentius,  bishop  of  Florence,  public- 
ly declared  that  Antichrist  was  come.  Joachim,  abbot  of  Cala- 
bria, in  presence  of  Richard  I.  king  of  England,  said,  that 
Antichrist  was  born  in  the  city  of  Rome,  and  would  be  advan- 
oed  to  the  apostolic  chair.  Peter  de  bruis  and  Henry  his  dis- 
ciple, exposed  in  France,  the  corruptions  of  popery,  and  were 
both  martyrs.  Arnold  of  Brescia  did  the  same,  and  was  burn- 
ed at  Rome,  A.  D.  115-5;  his  ashes  were  thrown  into  the  Ty- 
ber,  that  the  people  might  not  venerate  \n§  relics.     Some  faith- 


Chap.  10,  waldexses'.  225 

ful  men  sought  refuge  in  England  from  the  persecutions  of 
Germany  in  1160,  who  were  condemned,  whipped  and  tortur* 
ed  because   they  made  the  word  of  God  the  rule  of  their  faith. 

But  the  distinguishnig  witnesses  of  this,  and  the  succeeding 
centuries,  were  the  Waldenses.  These  were  a  people  scatter- 
ed through  the  vallies  of  Piedmont,  There,  two  centuries  be- 
fore, Claudius  had  sowed  the  seeds  of  truth,  which  had  taken 
root.  This  people  had  long  been  poor  and  despised,  but  for 
their  piety  had  been  a  spectacle  to  the  world,  and  objects  of 
enmity  and  malice.  They  had  been  called  Vallenses,  or  dwell- 
ers in  the  valley  ; — Gathari,  or  pure  ;  Leonists  or  poor  men  of 
Lyons;  Sabbatati,  tor  wearing  wooden  shoes  and  dressing  with 
great  simplicity,  and  Albigenses  from  Albi  a  town  where  many 
resided.  In  the  year  11(30,  Peter  Waldo,  a  merchant  of  Lyons, 
disgusted  with  the  abominable  practise  in  the  papal  church  of 
falling  down  before  the  consecrated  host  and  adoring  it  as  God, 
sought  for  divine  instruction  from  the  Scriptures.  Light  shone 
upon  his  mind.  He  learned  the  doctrines  of  Christ,  and  had 
the  four  gospels  translated  from  the  Latin  into  the  French 
tongue  and  circulated  among  the  people.  It  was  an  invaluable 
gift.  As  the  Latin  had  become  obsolete,  a  dead  language,  the 
Scriptures  were  inaccessible  to  all  who  could  not  read  that. 
Waldo  first  put  them  into  the  hands  of  the  multitude  and  be- 
came himself  an  expounder  of  their  doctrines.  The  effect 
was  prodigious.  Crow  ds  flocked  to  hear  him.  Associations 
of  men,  adopting  his  sentiments,  were  formed.  But  the  spirit 
of  persecution  arose.  Wnldo  and  his  adherents  were  anathe- 
matized and  obliged  to  disperse  for  safety.  He  retired  first 
into  Daupliiny,  then  into  Picardy  and  at  last  into  Bohemia, 
where  he  died  about  1179.  He  was  a  wonderful  man.  His 
piety,  his  labors  and  the  good  he  effected,  have  seldom  been 
equalled.  Wherever  he  went,  the  truth  took  deep  root  and 
spread  wide.  The  word  of  God  grew  mightily,  and  converts 
were  multiplied.  From  him  the  witnesses  who  testified  to  the 
truth  against  the  errors  of  popery,  were  called  Waldenses. 
Neither  his  death  nor  the  persecutions  of  the  pope,  checked 
their  growth.  On  the  contrary,  they  increased  amazingly 
throughout  the  south  of  France,  Switzerland,  Germany  and 
the  Low  countries.  In  Bohemia  alone,  it  is  computed  there 
were  not  less  in  1325  than  80,000. 

This  religion  was  the  religion  of  the  Bible.  By  their  adver-> 
saries  they  were  charged  with  holding  every  monstrous  heresy 
and  with  the  commission  of  every  abomination.  But  it  is  evi- 
dent, from  the  writings  of  their  persecutors  as  well  as  their  own., 
that  their  greatest  crime  consisted  in  denying  the  supremacy  of 


'^■2C  TWO    WITNESSES,  PeRIOD    IIL 

the  pope,  in  affirming  that  the  scripture  was  the  only  rule  of 
faith  and  practice  and  ought  to  be  read  by  all  men  ;  that  masses 
were  impious  ;  that  purgatory  was  an  invention  of  man  ;  that 
the  invocation  and  worship  of  dead  saints  was  idolatry  ;  that  the 
church  of  Rome  was  the  whore  of  Babylon  ;  that  the  marriage 
of  priests  was  lawful  and  necessary;  that  monkery  was  a  rotten 
carcase,  and  that  so  many  commemorations  of  the  dead,  bene- 
dictions of  creatures,  pilgrimages,  forced  fastings  and  the  like, 
were  diabolical  inventions.  Their  moral  character  was  that 
alone  on  earth  which  deserved  at  all  the  appellation  of 
Christian. 

The  Waldensian  churches  looked  for  salvation  by  grace 
through  faith,  the  gift  of  God.  They  received  the  two  sacra- 
ments, baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  in  their  simplicity,  re- 
jecting the  popish  ceremonies.  *'  About  the  year  1150,"  says 
Wall,  ''  one  sect  among  them  declared  against  the  baptism  of 
infants,  as  being  incapable  of  salvation,  but  the  main  body  of 
that  people  rejected  their  opinion.  And  the  sect  that  held  to  it 
quickly  disappeared."  Their  discipline  was  severe.  They 
gave  a  literal  interpretation  to  the  whole  of  Christ's  sermon  on 
the  mount,  and  allowed  no  wars,  nor  suits  of  law,  nor  increase 
of  wealth,  nor  oaths,  nor  self-defence  against  unjust  proceed- 
ings. They  were  poor  and  ignorant,  and  needed  greatly  the 
light  of  a  future  age.  But  it  cannot  be  doubted,  that  among 
them  existed  truth  and  holiness.  Luther  rejoiced  and  gave 
thanks  to  God,  that  **  he  had  enabled  the  reformed  and  the 
Waldensesto  see  and  own  each  other  as  brethren." 

On  these  faithful  witnesses,  fell  the  vengeance  of  papal 
Rome.  For  three  centuries,  an  incessant  persecution  raged 
against  them.  All  the  horrors  of  the  Inquisition  were  employed 
for  their  subjection.  Armies  were  raised  and  sent  to  terrify 
them  into  submission,  or  utterly  extirpate  them.  By  the  axe, 
by  firOj  the  sword  and  other  shocking  barbarities,  were  they 
hurried  into  eternity.  In  France  alone,  above  a  million  were 
slain  for  their  adherence  to  the  truth.  In  Germany  and  Flan- 
ders too,  they  were  persecuted  with  peculiar  severity.  The 
monks  were  urged  by  the  popes  to  treat  them  worse  than  they 
treated  the  Saracens.  In  the  castle  of  Menerbe  on  the  fron- 
tiers of  Spain,  140  persons  of  both  sexes  were  burned  alive* 
Persecution  often  drove  the  Waldenses  to  the  top  of  the  Alps  in 
the  dead  of  winter,  where  they  perished.  One  hundred  and 
eighty  mfants  were  at  one  time  found  dead  there  in  their  cra- 
dles. 400  little  children  were  suffocated  in  a  cave  in  the  val- 
ley of  Loyse,  where  they  had  been  placed  for  safety.  Often  did 
this  unhappy  people  change  masters,  and  every  new  sovereign 


Chap.  10.  wickliff.  'i^l 

seemed  anxious  to  commend  himself  to  the  pope,  by  extirmina* 
ting  them  with  ftre  and  the  sword.  A  reader  of  their  suffer- 
ings feels  himself  to  be  among  the  ancient  martyrs  of  Lyons  and 
Vienne,  and  involuntarily  exclaims  with  the  poet, 

"  Avenge  O  Lord,  thy  slaughtered  saints,  whose  bones 
Lie  bcaltered  upon  the  Alpine  mountains  cold.'' 

But,  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  was  the  seed  of  the  church.  The 
Waldenses  increased,  so  that  in  the  15th  century,  it  is  suppos- 
ed, there  were  not  less  than  800,000  in  Europe.  In  Germany 
they  were  called  Lollards,  from  one  Walter  Lollard,  who  in- 
veighed against  the  errors  of  popery,  and  was  burned  alive,  or 
from  the  dirges  sung  by  them  at  funerals.  But  the  witnessed" 
prophecied  in  sackcloth.  They  were  oppressed  and  kept  irj 
obscurity  and  silence  by  the  power  of  the  pope.  But  God  knew 
his  secret  ones.  He  saw  the  faith  and  paiience  of  the  saints. 
Their  death  was  precious.     Their  eternity  is  glorious. 

As  in  the  persecution  of  Stephen,  the  saints  were  scattered 
abroad  in  the  earth,  so  in  that  of  the  Waldenses  and  Lollards, 
they  were  driven  through  Europe.  Some  fled  to  England. 
That  country  was  completely  subject  to  the  papal  dominion- 
Its  triumph  was  completed  in  the  reign  of  John,  when  the' 
whole  kingdom  was  laid  under  an  interdict.  As  many  as  twen- 
ty witnesses  are  mentioned  by  historians,  who  had  raised  their 
voice  aganist  it,  but  they  were  obliged  to  hide  themselves.  The' 
mendicant  orders  were  exceedingly  numerous,  and  M-ere  so  ma-- 
ny  harpies  feeding  on  the  vitals  of  the  kingdom.  The  national 
universities  had  received  great  endowments  and  were  crowded 
with  youth.  The  friars  endeavoured  to  recruit  their  number 
from  among  them  ;  and,  such  was  their  success,  that  parents 
were  afraid  to  trust  their  sons  there  ;  so  that  the  number  of 
students  at  Oxford  was  reduced,  in  a  short  period,  from  thirty 
thousand  to  six  thousand.  This  roused  the  indignation  of  John 
Wickliff,  who  had  imbibed  the  sentiments  of  the  Lollards.  That 
distinguished  man,  the  brightest  light  of  the  fourteenth  centu- 
ry, was  born  in  1324,  in  Yorkshire.  He  ranked  among  thr. 
first  scholars  of  that  dark  period,  and  was  advanced  to  the  mas- 
tership of  Baliol  College,  and  wardenship  of  Canterbury  hall. 
But  defending  the  university  against  the  encroachments  of  men- 
dicants, and  writing  against  the  tyranny  of  the  pope  and  the  su- 
perstitions of  the  age,  he  becamr  the  object  of  papal  perseca- 
tion  and  was  ejected  from  his  office  by  Langham,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury.  Wickliff  appealed  to  the  pope,  who  deferred  any 
decision  upon  his  case  for  three  years.  In  the  mean  time,  the. 
veformer  diligently  studied  the  scriptures  and  made  himself  «ic- 


2*28  TWO    WITNESSES.  pERIOD    III. 

quainted  with  the  corruptions  of  popery  and  abominations  of 
monachism  ;  and,  by  his  writings  and  conversation,  made  the 
papal  dominion  in  England  tremble.  The  pope,  in  1370,  con- 
firmed his  ejectment  ;  but  he  had  made  many  friends,  and  king 
Edward  III.  bestowed  upon  him  the  rectory  of  Lutterworth, 
His  activity  and  diligence  were  unremitted  and  unbounded.  He 
clearly  and  boldly  demonstrated  the  anti-christianity  of  popery, 
of  the  mass,  transubstantiation,  purgatory,  the  seven  sacraments; 
and  exposed  the  idleness,  debauchery,  profligacy  and  hypocrisy 
of  the  friars.  Five  bulls  were  issued  against  him  from  Rome, 
and  twice  was  he  summoned  to  appear  before  the  papal  author- 
ities in  London.  Of  the  twenty-three  opinions  for  which  he 
was  prosecuted,  ten  were  condemned  as  heresies  and  thirteen 
iis  errors.  But  he  was  saved  from  violent  death.  He  died  in 
peace  at  liUtterworth  of  the  palsy,  A,  D.  1387.  He  was  an  ad- 
mirable man,  learned,  eloquent,  bold  and  truly  devoted  to  the 
service  of  God.  Before  his  death,  he  translated  the  whole  Bi- 
ble into  the  English  tongue  ;* — a  work  of  immense  labour  ;  but 
he  was  determined  that  men  should  have  the  Bible  and  read  it 
in  their  own  language.  Some  partial  versions  had  before  been 
made  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  language,  but  they  were  obsolete. 
This  therefore  was  a  great  gift  to  his  countrymen.  Together 
with  his  writings,  as  far  as  it  could  be  circulated  when  the  art 
of  printing  was  unknown,  and  the  power  of  the  papacy  was  ter- 
rific, it  produced  great  effects.  Alany  were  his  followers  in 
England  and  on  the  continent.  They  were  known  as  Wick- 
liffites  and  Lollards,  and  were  terribly  persecuted  by  the  Inquis- 
itors. His  memory  was  precious.  "  All  his  conduct"  says  the 
fJniversity  of  Oxford,  in  a  public  testimonial  given  to  his  char- 
acter, in  1406,  ''  through  life,   was  sincere  and  commendable  ; 


*  A  specimen  of  VVickliff's  New  Testament  in  the  Eng-lish  of  bis 
time,  maybe  pieasmg-  to  some.  Matt.  xi.  25,  26.  In  thilke  tyme 
Jhesus  answerido  and  s<  id.  I  kriowlcdg-e  to  thee,  Fadir  Tjord  of  He- 
vene  and  ofearthe  ;  for  thou  hast  hid  tlicse  thing-is  fro  wise  men  and 
redy  and  bast  schev/id  ihem  to  litil  children  :  So,  Fadir,  for  so  it  was 
plesynf^e  to  fors  tliee.  Horn.  ix.  17.  And  the  Scripture  seith  to  Fa- 
rao,  For  to  this  lliin<:^  have  I  styrred  thee,  that  I  schewe  in  thee  my 
vcrtu  and  tliat  my  name  be  ieeled  in  al  erthc.  7'berefore,  of  whom 
God  wole,  he  bat'l  mercy  :  and  whom  ho  wole  he  endurith.  Tbanne 
saith  thou  to  rne,  what  is  soug-bt  gdiit  for  who  withstondith  his  will  .^ 
Oo  man,  what  ai*t  thou  that  ansv/cri^t  to  God  !  Wlier  a  maad  tlnng- 
sei'h  to  him  that  maad  it,  What  hast  then  maad  rae  so  ?  Wber  a  pot- 
tere  or  cley  Uatli  not  power  to  make  of  the  same  gobct,  oo  vessel  into 
ODonr,  another  into  dispvt? 

The  pronuucialion  of  the  ag-e  probably  confonoed  to  this  spellif)^'.. 


Chap.  10.  lord  cobham.  229 

but  the  council  of  Constance  in  1415,  condemned  his  memory 
and  opinions  by  a  solemn  decree ;  and  about  thirteen  years  af- 
ter, his  bones  were  dug  up  and  publicly  burnt. 

As  the  Lollards  increased,  the  clergy  felt  alarmed,  for  they 
saw  plainly  that  the  prostration  of  the  monasteries  and  confisca- 
tion of  church  lands  was  endangered.  Transubstantiation  wag 
denied  by  the  new  heretics,  and  their  denial  was  made  the  test 
of  heresy.  Whoever  was  found  guilty  was  condemned  to  the 
stake.  One  William  Sautre,  a  parish  priest,  in  London,  and  John 
Badby,  a  tailor,  were  tried,  condemned  and  burnt  alive.  But  a 
more  distinguished  victim  was  Lord  Cobham,  a  man  of  high 
birth,  in  favour  with  Henry  V.  He  had  searched  the  scrip- 
tures and  become  satisfied  that  transubstantiation,  penance, 
pilgrimages  and  image  worship  were  wrong,  and  he  had  the 
boldness  to  declare  his  sentiments.  The  monks  eyed  him  with 
malice,  and  accused  him  to  the  king,  Henry  V.  The  king 
dreaded  the  sacrifice  of  so  noble  a  subject  and  endeavoured  to 
reclaim  him.  But  Sir  John  had  the  spirit  of  a  martyr.  He 
had  long  been  impressed  with  the  errors  of  Popery  and  the 
truth  of  the  doctrines  of  Wickliff.  He  knew,  from  experience, 
their  worth.  "  Before  God  and  men,"  said  he  to  his  accusers 
and  judges,  "  I  solemnly  here  profess,  that,  till  I  knew  Wick- 
liff, whose  judgment  ye  so  highly  disdain,  I  never  abstained 
from  sin  ;  but  after  I  became  acquainted  with  that  virtuous  man 
and  his  despised  doctrines,  it  hath  been  otherwise  with  me  ;  so 
much  grace  could  I  never  find  in  all  your  pompous  instruc- 
tions." The  writings  of  the  Reformer,  he  had  carefully  col- 
lected and  scattered  among  the  people,  and  he  was  now  willing 
to  die  in  their  defence.  When  brought  before  the  king,  he 
said,  "  You,  most  worthy  prince,  I  am  always  prompt  and  wil- 
ling to  obey  ;  unto  you  (next,  my  eternal  God,)  owe  I  my  whole 
obedience.  But  as  touching  the  pope  and  his  spirituality,  I 
owe  them  neither  suit  nor  service  ;  for  so  much  as  I  know  him 
by  the  scriptures  to  be  the  great  Antichrist,  the  son  of  perdition, 
the  open  adversary  of  God,  and  the  abomination  standing  in 
the  holy  place."  The  king  turned  angrily  from  him  and  deliv- 
ered him  over  to  the  executioner.  But  the  noble  victim  esca- 
ped from  prison,  and,  being  accused  by  his  enemies  of  high  trea- 
son, was  outlawed,  taken,  hanged  as  a  traitor,  and  burnt,  hang- 
ing, as  an  heretic.  Thus  died  Lord  Cobham — a  noble  witness 
to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

The  Lollards  increased ;  more  than  100,000  were  found  in 
England.  The  government  stood  in  great  fear  of  them.  The 
prisons  in  and  about  London  were  all  filled.  Thirty-nine  per- 
sons were  at  on©  time  suspended  by  chains  from  a  gallows  and 

20  V 


2^0  TWO    WITNESSES.  PeRIOD    III, 

burnt  alive  for  heresy  and  treason.  In  Scotland,  James  Retby 
was  burned  alive  in  1407.  Whole  families  were  obliged  to  quit 
their  abodes  for  safety.  Indeed,  for  more  than  a  century  these 
persecutions  raged  with  violence  both  in  England  and  Scotland. 
No  mercy  was  to  be  expected  by  men  who  read  the  scriptures 
and  spoke  against  the  superstitions  of  popery.  Such  as  escaped 
the  fire  were  branded  on  the  cheek  and  compelled  to  wear  a 
faggot  on  their  sleeve  to  shew  that  they  were  brands  plucked 
out  of  the  fire.  But  the  burning  of  the  witnesses  was  found  to 
be  no  way  to  extinguish  them. 

On  the  continent,  the  writings  of  Wickliff  produced  similar 
effects  as  in  England.  They  were  carried  by  a  student  of  Ojl- 
ford  into  Bohemia  and  there  read  by  John  Huss.  This  emi- 
nent man  was  born  in  1373.  For  his  learning  and  talents,  he 
was  appointed  rector  of  the  university  of  Prague.  He  was  also 
a  preacher  of  great  celebrity  in  the  chapel  of  Bethlehem.  He 
never  obtained  sufficient  light  to  renounce  all  the  superstitious 
notions  of  the  age,  not  even  the  monstrous  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation.  His  bitterest  enemies  therefore  could  never  accuse 
him  of  heresy.  But,  from  reading  the  scriptures  and  the  wri- 
tings of  Wickliff,  he  acquired  a  spirit  of  holiness  and  an  abhor- 
rence of  sin  ;  and,  having  great  decision  and  boldness  of  char- 
acter, he  declaimed  vehemently  against  the  monstrous  vices  and 
corruptions  of  all  orders  of  clergy  and  monks  and  drew  upon  him 
their  wrath  and  indignation.  For  his  holy  boldness,  he  was 
summoned  to  appear  before  the  council  of  Constance — an  im- 
mense body  composed  of  all  the  dignitaries  of  church  and  state 
in  Europe  ;  convened  to  endeavour  to  satisfy  the  popular  clam- 
our which  had  already  become  loud,  for  a  reformation  in  the 
Church.  Huss  appeared  there,  A.  D.  1414,  having  obtained  a 
passport  from  the  emperor,  assuring  his  safety  in  going  and  re- 
urning.  He  received  only  a  mock  trial.  Many  things  were 
laid  to  his  charge,  but  nothing  criminal  was  proved  against 
him.  He  persisted  however  in  refusing  to  acknowledge  himself 
in  an  error,  unless  previously  convicted  of  it,  from  the  Holy 
Scripture,  even  though  he  was  declared  to  be  so  by  the  catholic 
church  ;  and  this  was  enough  to  ensure  his  condemnation.  The 
emperor  shamefully  delivered  him  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies 
and  sentence  of  death  was  pronounced  upon  him.  His  books 
were  condemned  ;  he  was  degraded  from  his  priestly  office  and 
burned  alive.  His  blood-thirsty  enemies  had  power  to  destroy 
his  body,  but  could  not  subdue  his  noble  spirit.  At  the  place 
of  execution,  he  cried  aloud  ;  "  Lord  Jesus,  I  humbly  suffer 
this  cruel  death  for  thy  sake,  and  I  pray  thee  to  forgive  all  my 
enemies."     When  his  neck  was  fastened  to  the  stake  and  the 


Chap.  10.         john  huss  and  jerome  of  Prague.  231 

wood  was  ready  to  be  kindled,  the  elector  Palatine  offered  him 
his  life  if  he  would  retract.  But,  said  he,  ''  What  I  have  writ- 
ten and  taught  was  in  order  to  rescue  souls  from  the  power  of 
the  devil  and  to  deliver  them  from  the  tyranny  of  sin,  and  I  do 
gladly  seal  what  I  have  written  and  taught  with  my  blood." 
The  flame  was  kindled  and  he  soon  expired,  calling  upon  God. 

Thus  fell  before  the  power  of  the  beast,  one  of  the  best  of  men; 
one  of  the  greatest  ornaments  of  the  Christian  Church.  The 
world  hated  him,  for  he  was  holy.  The  pope  and  his  minions 
put  him  to  death,  not  because  he  was  in  their  view  heretical  in 
sentiment,  for  this  he  was  not ;  he  lived  in  a  very  dark  age  ;  the 
light  of  truth  had  not  dawned  upon  his  soul  ;  but  because,  like 
John  the  Baptist,  he  openly  condemned  their  licentiousness  and 
hypocrisy. 

His  companion  in  life  soon  followed  him  to  the  stake.  This 
was  Jerome  of  Prague.  He  had  travelled  into  England  for  the 
enlargement  of  his  mind,  and  had  brought  from  thence  the 
writings  of  Wickliff.  These  he  faithfully  studied,  imbibing  their 
spirit,  and  feeling  it  his  duty  to  preach  their  doctrines.  When 
Huss  was  imprisoned,  he  went  to  Constance  to  exhort  him  to 
stedfastness  ;  but  when  seized  himself  and  threatened  with  the 
most  dreadful  of  all  deaths,  his  heart  failed  him  and  he  had  the 
weakness  %  deny  all  he  had  maintained  as  truth.  But  his  de- 
nial of  the  truth  filled  his  soul  with  the  deepest  anguish,  ar#rl  he 
summoned  fortitude  to  avow  again  the  real  sentiments  of  his 
heart  and  meet  his  fate.  "I  came,"  said  he,  '•  to  Constance 
to  defend  John  Huss,  because  I  had  advised  him  to  go  thither 
and  had  promised  to  come  to  his  assistance  in  case  he  should  be 
oppressed.  Nor  am  I  ashamed  here  to  make  public  confession 
of*  my  own  cowardice.  I  confess  and  tremble  while  I  think  of 
it,  that,  through  fear  of  punishment  by  fire,  I  basely  consented, 
against  my  conscience,  to  the  condemnation  of  the  doctrine  of 
Wickliff  and  Huss."  Even  Jerome,  however,  did  not  open  his 
mind  to  all  the  light  shed  forth  by  the  English  reformer.  He 
could  not  with  him,  condemn  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation. 
But  he  was  a  witness  against  many  of  the  abominations  of  popery, 
and  went  to  the  stake  on  the  30th  of  May,  1416.  When  bound 
lor  the  slaughter,  he  raised  his  voice  and  sang, 

"  Hail  happy  day  and  ever  be  adored 

When  hell  was  conquered  by  great  heaven's  Lord.'' 

When  the  flames  had  nearly  done  their  awful  work,  he  was  heard 
to  cry  out  '*  O  Lord,  have  mercy  on  me.  Have  mercy  on  me. 
Thou  knowest  how  I  have  loved  thy  truth." 

The  ashes  of  these  early  witnesses  to  the  truth  were  scatter- 


S32  TWO  WITNESSES.  Period  III, 

ed  by  the  winds  of  heaven  ;  but  their  memory  was  previous. 
The  inhabitants  of  Bohemia  were  shocked  at  the  dreadful  sacri- 
fice which  had  been  made  of  the  best  blood  to  the  wickedness 
of  priests-  The  next  year,  about  sixty  of  the  principal  persons 
of  the  country  addressed  a  letter  to  the  council,  saying,  "  We 
can  find  no  blame  attached  to  the  doctrine  or  life  of  John  Huss, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  every  thing  pious,  laudable  and  worthy  of 
a  true  pastor.  Ye  have  not  only  disgraced  us  by  his  condem- 
nation, but  have  also  unmercifully  imprisoned,  and  perhaps  al- 
ready put  to  death  Jerome  of  Prague,  a  man  of  most  profound 
learning  and  copious  eloquence.  Him,  also,  ye  have  condemn- 
ed, unconvicted.  Notwithstanding  all  that  hath  passed,  we  are 
resolved  to  sacrifice  our  lives  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ  and  of  his  faithful  preachers." 

These  were  men,  ready  to  be  led  through  all  the  perilous  con- 
flicts of  a  reformation,  had  they  had  enlightened  guides.  But, 
alas  !  it  was  an  age  of  awful  darkness;  and,  though  many  saw 
the  vices  and  abominations  of  Antichrist,  yet  none,  as  yet,  saw 
t4ie  true  way  of  reform.  The  best  men  had  a  poor  under- 
standing of  the  faith.  The  idea  that  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
was  a  spiritual  kingdom,  was  embraced  by  but  few,  if  any.  Er- 
rors of  practice  were  distinctly  visible,  but  errors  of  doctrine 
were  not  seen.  The  Romish  church,  in  the  council  of  Con- 
stance, passed  a  decree  forbidding  the  use  of  the  cup  by  the 
laity  in  the  communion.  This,  added  to  the  other  enormities 
and  corruptions  of  the  age,  roused  the  Bohemians  to  arms. 
About  40,000  assembled  together  on  a  mountain  near  Prague, 
which  they  called  Mount  Tabor,  where  they  raised  a  strong  for- 
tification, and  put  themselves  under  the  direction  of  two  chiefs, 
Nicolas  and  John  Ziska,  with  the  determination  to  revenge  the 
deaths  of  John  Huss  and  Jerome,  and  obtain  the  liberty  of  wor- 
shiping God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences. 
Their  numbers  increased  soon  to  an  amazing  extent ;  war  was 
declared  against  Sigismund,  the  German  emperor,  and  a  deluge 
of  blood  was  shed.  Each  party  appeared  to  the  other  as  ene- 
mies of  true  religion,  hated  of  God  and  justly  exposed  to  extir- 
pation by  fire  and  the  sword.  The  most  shocking  and  terrible 
acts  of  barbarity,  therefore,  were  continually  exhibited.  At 
length,  the  papal  party  yielded;  and,  in  1433,  a  treaty  of  peace 
was  concluded  in  which  the  Bohemians  were  allowed  the  use  of 
the  cup  in  the  sacrament  and  the  administration  of  the  ordi- 
nance in  their  own  language. 

With  these  terms,  the  major  part  only  were  satisfied.  These 
were  called  Calixtincs.  The  remainder,  who  seem  to  have 
been  the  true  Waldcnscs,  wished  for  a  more  thorough  reforma- 


Chap.  10.  hussites.  233 

tion  from  popery  and  a  restoration  of  Christianity  to  its  primi- 
tive simplicity.  They  were  called  Taborites,  and,  through  ig- 
norance and  fanaticism,  went  to  many  unwarranted  excesses, 
and  were  the  objects  of  fiery  persecution,  especially  from  their 
brethren  the  Caiixtines.  In  1467,  they  formed  a  separate 
church  and  chose  their  own  pastors.  In  1480,  their  number 
was  increased  by  an  accession  of  some  Waldenses,  who  escaped 
out  of  Austria,  where  they  had  been  severely  persecuted,  and 
some  of  their  pastors  had  been  burned  alive.  But  their  enemies 
gave  them  no  rest.  The  next  year,  the  Hussites  were  all  ban- 
ished from  Moravia  and  were  compelled  to  seek  refuge  in  other 
countries  for  six  years.  Their  number,  however,  did  not  much 
diminish.  In  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  they  had 
in  Bohemia  and  Moravia  two  hundred  congregations. 

These  poor  oppressed  and  despised  people  appear  to  have 
formed  a  true  church  of  Christ  in  that  age.  They  greatly  need- 
ed the  clear  light  of  a  future  age,  a  clear  view  of  the  pure  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel  ;*  they  were  guilty  of  many  acts  of  violence 
and  rapine  in  defence  of  their  religion,  considered  justifiable 
in  that  age  ;  but  among  them,  as  among  the  early  Waldenses, 
was  a  spirit  of  prayer,  a  spirit  of  holiness,  an  abhorrence  of  the 
errors  and  corruptions  of  the  man  of  sin,  a  strict  discipline,  a 
desire  for  the  pure  and  simple  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  a  dispo- 
sition to  make  the  scriptures  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 
Their  covenant  God,  no  doubt,  beheld  them  in  the  thickets  and 
clefts  of  the  rocks,  and  heard  their  midnight  songs  of  praise,  and 


*  That  the  Hussites  had  many  correct  views,  is  evident  from  the 
following-  articles  of  their  creed  given. by  ^neas  Sylvius,  who  was  af- 
terwards pope  Pious  II. 

The  pope  of  Rome  is  equal  with  other  bishops. 

Among-  priests  there  is  no  difference. 

There  is  no  purgatory  fire. 

It  is  vain  to  pray  for  the  dead  and  an  invention  of  priestly  covetous- 
ne$s. 

The  images  of  God  and  the  saints  ought  to  be  destroyed. 

The  blessing-  of  water  and  palm  branches  is  ridiculous. 

The  relig-ion  of  the  mendicants  was  invented  by  evil  demons. 

No  capital  sin  oug-ht  to  be  tolerated,  although  for  the  sake  of  avoid- 
ing a  greater  evil. 

Auricular  confession  is  trifling;  it  is  sufficient  for  every  one  in  his 
chamber  to  confess  his  sins  unto  God. 

The  temple  of  the  g-reat  God  is  the  whole  world. 

The  suffrages  of  saints,  reigning-  with  Christ  in  heaven,  are  implored 
hi  vain,  forasmuch  as  they  cannot  help  us. 

The  festivals  of  saints,  are  altogether  to  be  rejected. 

We  should  cease  from  work  on  no  day,  except  that  which  ic  now 
called  the  Lord's  day. 


234  TWO  WITNESSES.  Period  III. 

communicated  to  them  his  Holy  spirit.  And  if,  as  we  have 
reason  to  believe  was  the  case,  they  feared  God,  they  are  among 
the  hundred  forty  and  four  thousand  who  now  stand  with  the 
Lamb  on  Mount  Zion. 

The  Taborites  were  those  Bohemian  brothers  called  piccards 
and  beghards  who  joined  Luther  in  the  reformation.  Their  de- 
scendants and  followers  are  now  to  be  found  in  the  same  coun- 
tries. 

The  brethren  and  sisters  of  the  Free  Spirit,  called  in  the 
Flemish,  Beggards  and  Beguins,  were  a  numerous  people  in 
Holland  and  Germany  who  seemed  to  turn  from  the  ceremonies 
and  superstitions  of  popery  to  something  like  inward  piety  and 
spiritual  contemplation,  and  were  most  violently  persecuted  by 
the  magistrates  and  Roman  clergy  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

Thus  have  we  seen  the  loitnesses  hitherto  prophecying  in 
sackloth,^  from  the  first  rise  of  the  papal  dominion.  We  shall 
now  behold  them  indeed  triumphant  in  the  great  reformation  ; 
though,  wherever  the  Man  of  sin  rules  they  will  be  subjected  to 
oppression,  and  if  possible,  death,  until  his  dominion  be  taken 
away. 


Chap.  11.  reformation.  21 


CHAPTER  XL 

Circumstances  in  Europe  favouring  a  reformation. — Philip's  tri- 
umph over  Boniface.  Removal  of  the  Pope  to  Avignon.  Great 
Western  schism.  Mendicants  unpopular.  General  demand 
for  a  reform.  Council  of  Constance.  Discouragements. — 
Character  of  the  Popes.  Their  power.  Low  state  of  Religion 
and  Learning.  Immediate  causes. — Avarice  of  the  Popes. 
Sale  of  Indulgences  opposed  by  Martin  Luther.  Luther's  birth 
and  education.  Retires  into  a  monastery.  Reads  the  Scrip- 
tures. Made  professor  at  Wittemberg.  Opposes  Tetzeh 
Meets  'with  applause.  Circumstances  favouring  his  cause.-^ 
Summoned  to  Rome.  Appears  before  Cajetan  and  Miltitz. 
Disputes  with  Eckius.  Reformation  commences  in  Sivitzer- 
land.  Erasmus.  Melanchton.  Frederick  the  Wise.  Luther 
excommunicated.  Burns  the  Pope's  bull,  and  establishes  the 
LutJieran  Church.  Summoned  to  the  Diet  of  Worms.  His 
defence  and  condemnation.  Secreted  at  Wartburg.  Re-ap- 
pears, and  publishes  the  Netv  Testament  in  German.  Preaches 
the  Gospel  with  great  success. 

From  what  has  passed  before  him,  the  reader  will  gain  some 
general  view  of  the  deplorable  state  of  the  Christian  world  at  the 
commencement  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  Papal  power  was 
not,  perhaps,  so  great  as  it  once  had  been.  Boniface  VIII.  may 
be  viewed  as  having  stood,  in  the  fourteenth  century,  on  that 
proud  and  guilty  eminence  of  absolute  spiritual  and  temporal  da- 
minion,  which  had  been  the  desire  of  almost  every  pontiff*  through 
successive  ages.  Provoked  by  his  haughty  and  overbearing  de- 
meanour, Philip,  king  of  France,  hurled  him  from  his  seat,  and 
he  died  in  disgrace  and  anguish.  To  prevent  such  almost  un- 
controllable dominion  at  Rome,  Philip  placed  a  Frenchman  in 
the  Papal  see,  and  fixed  his  residence  at  Avignon  in  France. 
This  remained  the  seat  of  the  Papacy  for  70  years  ; — a  period 
called,  by  the  CathoUcs,  the  Babylonish  captivity.  But  this  re- 
moval from  Rome  greatly  weakened  the  power  of  the  Pontiflk 
It  removed  their  personal  influence,  which  had  been  immense, 
from  the  eternal  city.  It  gave  their  enemies  in  Rome  an  op- 
portunity to  cabal  against  them,  and  ravage  with  impunity,  St, 
Peter's  patrimony.  Many  Italian  cities  revolted  from  the  Pope. 
Decrees  sent  from  Avignon,  were  treated  with  contempt.  Other 
parts  of  Europe  caught  the  same  feehng  ;  and,  from  this  time,  the 
tTiunders  of  the  Pontiffs  were  heard  without  much  fear  or  d^eadr 

19 


218  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD  IIL 

Another  circumstance  arising  out  of  this,  which  weakened  the 
Papal  power,  was  the  great  Western  schism.  The  Romans, 
wishing  to  have  the  Pope  reside  at  Rome,  elected  one  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  Pope  at  Avignon.  Europe  became  divided  and 
distracted.  For  fifty  years,  the  church  had  two  and  sometimes 
three  Popes  or  heads,  who  did  little  but  hurl  anathemas  at  each 
other.  The  distress  and  scandal  of  the  age  baffle  de- 
scription. 

The  mendicants  also,  throughout  Europe,  began  to  fall  under 
a  general  odium.  Their  authority,  rapaciousness,  filth,  and 
wickedness,  provoked  the  rage  of  almost  all  classes.  In  En- 
gland, the  University  made  a  resolute  stand  against  them  by  her 
champion  Wickliffe  ;  and  in  France  many  eflx)rts  were  made  to 
destroy  their  exorbitant  power.  Their  internal  conflicts  were 
many  and  violent.  These  the  Pontiffs  endeavoured  to  subdue, 
and  always  with  loss  of  power. 

Besides  the  opposition  of  the  true  and  faithful  witnesses,  the 
Romish  communion  found  many  in  her  own  bosom,  who,  fi*om 
time  to  time,  exposed  her  vices  and  corruptions.  Dante  and 
Petrarch,  in  the  fourteenth  century,  wrote  against  the  corrup- 
tions of  Rome  ;  treating  her  as  Babylon  and  the  Pope  as  Anti- 
christ ;  and,  by  their  wit  and  raillery,  did  them  incredible  mis 
chief.  In  the  same  age,  Peter  Fitz  Cassiodor  addressed  a  re- 
monstrance to  the  church  of  England  against  the  tyranny  and 
wickedness  of  Rome,  urging  a  secession.  Michael  Caesenus 
and  William  Occum  exposed  the  various  errors  and  heresies  of 
John  XXII.  And  Marsilius,  a  lawyer  of  Padua,  wrote  a  trea- 
tise, entitled  The  Defender  of  Peace,  in  which  he  powerfully  con- 
tested the  Papal  claim  to  Divine  authority,  or  pre-eminence  ovei- 
other  bishops.  In  the  year  1436,  Thomas  Rhedon,  a  Carmehte 
friar,  saw  the  corruptions  of  the  papacy,  and  so  boldly  exposed 
them,  that  he  was  burned  alive.  One  Jerome  Savanarola,  an 
Italian  monk,  also  inveighed  against  the  corruption  of  the  papacy, 
and  preached  the  doctrine  of  free  justification  by  faith  in  Christ. 
He,  with  two  companions,  were  imprisoned  and  burned  alive  at 
Florence,  A.  D.  1499.  Thomas  a  Kempis,  the  reputed  author 
of  the  Imitation  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  in  1471,  did  much  to 
enhghten  the  world  in  the  nature  of  true  piety.  John  Wesselus, 
of  Groningen,  shed  much  light  on  the  surrounding  darkness. 
Indeed,  he  has  been  denominated  tlie  fight  of  the  world,  and  the 
great  forerunner  of  Luther  ;  for  he  not  only  exposed  the  corrup- 
tions of  popery,  but  preached  many  of  those  doctrines  which  Lu- 
ther afterwards  proclaimed,  and  which  lay  at  the  basis  of  the 
reformation. 


Chap.  11.  leo  x.  219 

These  and  other  witnesses  in  the  bosom  of  the  Papal  Church, 
had  excited  a  general  feehng  throughout  Europe  in  favour  of  a 
reformation.  Loud  and  repeated  calls  were  made  upon  the  ru- 
ling powers  for  a  general  council,  to  heal  prevailing  divisions  and 
abuses.  At  length  the  Council  of  Constance  was  convened  for 
this  purpose.  It  was  composed  of  20  archbishops,  150  bishops. 
150  other  dignitaries,  and  200  doctors.  The  Emperor  Sigis- 
mund  and  the  Pope  were  at  its  head.  But  what  acts  of  refor- 
mation could  be  expected  from  men  who  were  themselves  grossly 
corrupt ; — from  men,  whose  highest  interest  it  was  to  have  things 
remain  just  as  they  were,  or  rather  become  more  degenerate  ? 
Besides,  had  they  been  disposed  to  do  according  to  their  best 
abihty,  they  could  only  have  effected  a  partial  reformation  of  a 
few  external  corruptions.  The  source  of  evil  would  have  re- 
mained. This  was  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  human  merit : 
the  foundation  of  indulgences  and  almost  every  evil  in  the  Pa- 
pal world.  This  could  only  have  been  overturned  by  the  true 
doctrine  of  justification  through  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and 
of  this  probably  all  in  the  council  were  ignorant.  They  did  lit- 
tle, therefore,  but  condemn  the  writings  of  Wickliffe,  and  burn 
Huss  and  Jerom,  better  reformers  than  the  whole  assembly. 
Other  councils  were  subsequently  composed  for  the  hke  purpose, 
but  were  equally  ineffectual.  The  general  demand,  however, 
for  a  reformation  of  abuses  continued,  and  was  very  favourable 
to  the  interests  of  religion. 

But  notwithstanding  these  circumstances,  favourable  to  a  re- 
formation, the  condition  of  Christendom  was  extremely  deplora- 
ble. If  the  Popes  swayed  not  the  sceptre  which  was  once  in 
their  hands,  they  still  maintained  and  exercised  a  most  awful 
despotism  over  the  souls  and  consciences  of  men.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  century  the  chair  was  filled  by  Alexander  VI., 
a  monster  in  iniquity,  who  was  continuaily  guilty  of  the  most  ex- 
ecrable crimes.  He  was  succeeded  first  by  Pius  111. ;  and  then, 
by  Julius  II.,  who  was  furious  for  war  and  bloodshed  and  whose 
pontificate  was  a  scene  of  military  violence.  His  place  was  filled, 
in  1513,  by  Leo  X.,  of  the  family  of  the  Medicis  ;  a  man  of  lite- 
rature and  a  promoter  of  learning,  but  a  stranger  to  vital  piety — 
accused  even  of  atheism,  and  a  man  who  spared  no  pains  to  up- 
hold the  wealth  and  grandeur  of  the  Roman  see. 

This  immense  power,  wielded  by  a  thousand  dignitaries,  and 
holding  in  subjection  the  potentates  of  the  earth,  the  Waldenses 
were  too  feeble  to  molest  ;  while  the  Hussites,  wearied  by  long 
contentions,  were  glad  of  the  liberty  of  living  and  worshipping 
God,  without  being  further  molested  or  molesting  others. 


220  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD  III. 

Of  the  low  state  of  religion  and  of  its  monstrous  perversions* 
we  in  this  age,  can  have  no  adequate  conception.  It  is  thus  de* 
scribed  by  Frederic  Myconius,  a  writer  of  that  period.  "  The 
passion  and  satisfaction  of  Christ,  were  treated  as  a  bare  history, 
like  the  Odyssey  of  Homer  ;  concerning  faith,  by  which  the  righ- 
teousness of  the  Redeemer  and  eternal  life  are  apprehended, 
there  was  the  deepest  silence.  Christ  was  described  as  a  se- 
vere judge,  ready  to  condemn  all  who  were  destitute  of  the  in- 
tercession of  saints  and  of  pontifical  interest.  In  the  room  of 
Christ  were  substituted  as  saviours  and  intercessors,  the  Virgin 
Mary,  like  a  Pagan  Diana,  and  other  saints  who,  from  time  to 
time-  had  been  created  by  the  Popes.  Nor  were  men,  it  seems, 
entitled  to  the  benefit  of  their  prayers ^  except  they  deserved  it 
of  them  by  their  works.  What  sort  of  works  was  necessary  for 
this  end  was  distinctly  explained  ;  not  the  works  prescribed  in  the 
decalogue,  and  enjoined  on  all  mankind,  but  such  as  enrich  the 
priests  and  monks.  Those  who  died  neglecting  these,  were 
consigned  to  hell,  or  at  least  to  purgatory,  till  they  were  re- 
deemed from  it  by  a  satisfaction  made  either  by  themselves  or 
their  proxies.  The  frequent  pronunciation  of  the  Lord's  prayer, 
and  the  salutation  of  the  Virgin,  and  the  recitations  of  the  cano- 
nical hours,  constantly  engaged  those  who  undertook  to  be  reli- 
gious. An  incredible  mass  of  ceremonial  observances  was  every 
where  visible,  while  gross  wickedness  was  practised  under  the 
encouragement  of  indulgences,  by  which  the  guilt  of  the  crime 
was  easily  expiated.  The  preaching  of  the  word  was  the  least 
part  of  the  episcopal  function";  rites  and  processions  employed 
the  bishops  perpetually  when  engaged  in  religious  service.  The 
number  of  clergy  was  enormous,  and  their  lives  were  most 
scandalous." 

From  this  representation,  we  may  easily  perceive  that  an 
awful  ignorance  of  religion,  accompanied  by  the  vilest  super- 
stition, pervaded  all  classes.  The  public  schools  of  learning 
were  filled  by  monks  ; — a  class  of  men,  who  had  a  barbarous 
aversion  to  all  mental  improvement,  and  who  thought  they  did 
God  service,  if  they  locked  up  the  faculties  of  youth. 

Scholastic  divinity,  and  the  logic  of  Aristotle,  filled  the 
schools.  Albertus  Magnus  and  Thomas  Aquinas,  who  hved  in 
the  13th,  and  Duns  Scotus  of  the  14th  century,  became  the 
heads  of  powerful  sects,  called  the  Scotists  and  Thomists,  who 
were  ever  disputing  about  the  nature  of  the  divine  co-operation 
with  the  human  will,  the  measure  of  divine  grace  essential  to 
salvation,  personal  identity,  and  the  immaculate  conception  of 
the  Virgin  Mary.     By  them  philosophy  was  carried,  it  was 


Chap.  11,  sale  op  indulgences.  221 

thought,  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection,  but  was,  in  truth, 
the  most  silly  and  unintelhgible  farrago.  ''  The  beautiful  sub- 
tleties of  sophistical  syllogism,  enabled  the  disputants  to  divide 
the  hair  of  controverted  points,  which  neither  understood  •,  and 
prove  it,  when  split,  to  be  alter,  or  idem,  or  tertium  quid  ;  with 
quid-diti^s,  and  quo-chties  and  entities,  and  a  profundity  of  hke 
wisdom,  that  made  an  admiring  audience  gape,  or  the  listening 
pupil  stand  amazed,  lost  in  the  depths  of  this  unfathomable  learn- 
ing." 

The  best  theological  instruction,  was  of  so  poor  a  character, 
that,  when  Luther  rose,  not  a  man  could  be  found  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Paris,  the  best  school  of  learning  of  the  age,  who 
could  dispute  with  him  in  the  Scriptures.  Men  preached  ;  but 
their  sermons  were  senseless  unmeaning  harangues  upon  the 
blessed  Virgin  ;  the  merits  of  the  Saints  ;  the  efficacy  of  relics  ; 
the  burnings  of  purgatory,  and  the  utility  of  indulgences.  If 
there  were  men  of  elevation  in  society-  who  read  and  thought, 
they  were  puffed  up  with  a  sense  of  their  own  excellence,  by  the 
Aristotelian  philosophy,  which  was  then  prevalent  in  the  schools, 
and  which  would  write  foolishness  uipon  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
by  a  crucified  Redeemer. 

The  avarice  of  the  Popes  was  unbounded.  Desirous  of 
maintaining  the  authority,  grandeur  and  splendour  of  the  Roman 
See  ;  they  continually  devised  new  schemes  for  draining  Chris- 
tendom of  its  treasures.  Every  ecclesiastic  was  required  to 
pay  annats,  or  the  first  year's  produce  of  his  living  to  the  Pope. 
The  richest  benefices  throughout  Europe,  were  sold,  whej. 
vacant,  and  sometimes  before,  to  the  highest  bidder.  Frequent 
demands  of  free  gifts  were  made  from  (he  clergy,  and  civil 
rulers  ;  and  extraordinary  levies  >of  tenths  on  ecclesiastical 
revenues,  upon  pretence  of  expeditions  against  the  Turks,  or 
some  other  pious  jitfrposes,  never  executed,  were  continualh 
exacted. 

But  the  greatest  source  of  wealth  to  the  Pontiffs,  was  the  sale 
of  indulgences.  This  traffic  was  carried  to  awful  excesses. 
For  persuading  the  people,  that  there  was  an  infinite  treasure  of 
merit  in  Christ  and  the  Saints,  beyond  what  they  needed  them- 
selves ; — a  treasure  which  was  committed  to  the  Popes,  tlie 
bishops,  the  clergy,  the  Dominican  and  Franciscan  friars,  to  be 
sold  by  them  for  money,  and  that  whoever  should  purchase  it, 
should  be  absolved  themselves,  from  the  greatest  crimes,  and  de- 
liver their  friends  too,  from  the  fires  of  purgatory ;  these  crafty 
men  had  secured  treasures  of  wealth  almost  unbounded.  It  was 
this   abominable  traffic,  which  first  opened  the  eyes  of  Martin 

19* 


222  RErORMATION.  pERIOD  111. 

Luther  to  the  corruptions  of  Popery,  and  roused  his  spirit  to  the 
work  of  reformation. 

This  wonderful  man,  who  holds  the  first  place  in  modern 
ecclesiastical  history,  and  who  must  ever  be  loved,  and  revered, 
as  one  of  the  greatest  benefactors  of  mankind,  was  born  at 
Isleben,  in  Saxony,  in  the  year  1483.  His  father  was  a  man  of 
integrity,  employed  in  the  mines  of  Mansfield  ;  but  he  acted  hke 
a  man  of  enlarged  mind,  in  giving  his  son  a  learned  education. 
At  an  early  period,  Martin  discovered  uncommon  powers  of 
mind  ;  and  having  passed  through  the  ordinary  studies  at  Magde- 
burg, Eisenach  and  Erfurt,  he  commenced  master  of  arts  at  the 
University  of  Erfurt,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  and  devoted  him- 
self  to  the  study  of  civil  law.  But  a  providential  occurrence 
suddenly  changed  the  whole  course  of  his  life.  While  walking  in 
the  fields  with  an  intimate  friend,  that  friend  was  suddenly 
killed  by  lightning.  Luther  viewed  it  as  a  call  from  heaven,  to 
devote  himself  to  the  divine  service  ;  and  he  retired  in  1 505 
into  a  convent  of  Augustinian  friars.  As  yet  he  was  a  stranger 
to  vital  piety  ;  and  his  monastic  life,  having  the  form  without  the 
power  and  joy  of  godhness,  was  very  gloomy.  But  his  mind  was 
too  highly  cultivated  for  him  to  sit  down  an  idle  drone.  The  fire  of 
genius  burned  within  him  ;  and  had  he  been  left  to  himself,  and 
the  ordinary  course  of  the  monastic  life,  he  would  have  found 
his  way  to  the  papal  chair.  But  an  invisible  hand  conducted 
him  to  an  old  Latin  bible  in  the  library  of  the  monastery.  He 
seized  it  with  avidity,  and  gave  it  a  faithful  perusal.  From  this, 
light  shone  in  upon  liis  understanding,  and  comfort  dawned  upon 
his  soul.  In  this  sacred  treasury,  he  found  the  doctrine  of  justi- 
fication by  faith,  the  reception  of  which,  at  once  elevated  his 
mind  far  above  that  scholastic  philosophy  and  theology,  whicli 
were  then  in  vogue,  and  of  which  he  had  become  perfect  master  : 
and  made  his  once  gloomy  monastery  a  paradise  of  bliss. 
Abandoning  all  other  pursuits,  he  gave  himself  with  incredible 
ardour  to  the  study  of  the  sacred  volume  ;  and  such  were  his  at- 
tainments in  divine  truth,  that  he  was  soon  viewed  as  the  most 
learned  divine  in  all  Germany,  In  1507  he  was  ordained  priest ; 
and,  as  a  reward  for  his  diligence,  and  astonishing  attaiimicnts,  Iw 
was  made  in  1508,  professor  of  philosophy  and  theology  in  the 
University  of  Wittemberg,  on  the  Elbe,  by  Frederick,  elector  of 
Saxony.  He  also  officiated  as  pastor  of  the  Church  in  Wittem- 
berg, as  the  substitute  of  Simon  Hensius,  who  was  disabled  b\ 
infirmity. 

Luther  is  presented  to  us  in  history,  as  remarkably  strong  and 
healthy,  and  of  a  sanguine  and  bilious  temperament.     His  cye^ 


Chap.  11.  martin  luther.  225 

were  piercing  and  full  of  fire  ;  his  voice  sweet  and  vehement, 
when  once  fairly  raised  ;  he  had  a  stern  countenance  ;  and. 
though  most  intrepid  and  high  spirited,  he  could  assume  the  ap- 
pearance of  modesty  and  humility  whenever  he  pleased,  which 
however,  was  not  often  the  case.  By  friends  and  enemies,  he  was 
acknowledged  as  a  man  of  great  learning,  and  elegant  taste,  and 
pre-eminent  above  all  others,  as  a  popular  preacher  and  teacher 
of  philosophy. 

His  piety  kept  pace  with  his  learning  and  popularity.  In 
1516  we  find  him  thus  writing  to  a  friend.  "  I  desire  to  know 
what  your  soul  is  doing,  whether,  wearied  at  length  of  its  own 
righteousness,  it  learns  to  refresh  itself,  and  to  trust  in  the 
righteousness  of  Christ." — Remarkable  language  for  th?.t  period. 

While  he  was  filHng  the  highly  important  station,  to  which 
providence  had  raised  him,  with  great  credit  to  himself  and  his 
country,  and  gaining  more  and  more  knowledge  of  the  fi^mda- 
mental  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  John  Tetzel  appeared,  in  the  year 
1517,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Wittemberg,  selling  indulgences.*' 
To  this  office  that  bold  dominican  inquisitor  had  been  dele- 
gated by  Albert,  Archbishop  of  Mentz,  to  whom  the  indulgences 
had  been  sent  by  Leo  X. 

Had  Tetzel  been  of  a  mild  and  timid  spirit,  the  reformation 
might  have  been  delayed  another  century  ;  but  he  was  a  man  of 
uncommon  boldness  and  impudence,  just  calculated  to  rouse  the 
indignation  of  Luther.  He  was  indeed  a  veteran  in  the  trafl[ic. 
Ten  years  before,  he  had  collected  2000  florins  in  the  space  of 
two  days  ;  and  he  boasted  that,  by  his  indulgences,  he  had  saved 
more  souls  from  hell  than  ever  St.  Peter  converted  by  his  preach- 
ing. The  following  was  one  of  his  abominable  articles  of  traf- 
fic. "  May  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  mercy  upon  thee,  and 
absolve  thee  by  the  merits  of  his  most  holy  passion.  And  I,  by 
his  authority,  that  of  his  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  the 

*  According  to  a  book,  called  the  Tax  book  of  the  sacred  Romai: 
chancery,  containing  the  exact  sums  demanded  for  the  remission  of  sins?, 
we  find  tlie  following;  fees. 


For  simony, 

10^. 

ed. 

For  sacrilege, 

10 

6 

For  taking  a  false  oath 

in  a  criminal  case, 

9 

0 

For  robbing. 

12 

0 

For  burning  a  house, 

12 

0 

For  murdering  a  layman, 

7 

6 

For  laying  violent  hands 

on  a  clergyman, 

10 

C 

224  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD  III, 

most  holy  Pope,  granted  and  committed  to  me  in  these  parts,  do 
absolve  thee  first,  from  all  ecclesiastical  censures,  in  whatever 
manner  they  have  been  incurred,  and  then  from  all  the  sins, 
transgressions  and  excesses  how  enormous  soever  they  may  be, 
even  such  as  are  reserved  for  the  cognizance  of  the  Holy  See, 
and  as  far  as  the  keys  of  the  Holy  Church  extend  ;  I  remit  to 
thee  all  the  punishment  which  thou  deservest  in  purgatory  on 
their  account ;  and  I  restore  thee  to  the  holy  sacraments  of  the 
church,  to  the  unity  of  the  faithful,  and  to  that  innocence  and 
purity,  which  thou  possessed  at  baptism  ;  so  that  when  thou 
diest,  the  gates  of  punishment  shall  be  shut,  and  the  gates  of  the 
paradise  of  delight  shall  be  opened ;  and  if  thou  shall  not  die 
at  present,  this  grace  shall  remain  in  full  force  when  thou  art  at 
the  point  of  death.  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Another  related  to  the  deliverance  of 
departed  friends  from  the  fire  of  purgatory  ;  and  such  was  the 
grossness  of  this  man,  that  he  would  publicly  say,  "  The  moment 
the  money  tinkles  in  the  chest,  your  father's  soul  mounts  out  of 
purgatory." 

The  prices  of  these  indulgences  varied  according  to  the  cir- 
cumstances.  and  crimes  of  the  purchasers.  For  the  better  sale 
of  them,  whole  districts  of  country  were  farmed  out  to  the 
highest  bidders.  These  were  often  men  of  the  most  licentious- 
characters,  who,  after  they  had  quieted  the  consciences  of 
thousands  in  sin,  spent  their  nights  in  riot  and  voluptuousness-. 
John  TetzeL  was  a  common  adulterer.''^ 

When  Tetzel  appeared  in  Saxony,  vast  crowds  flocked  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  to  purchase  indidgences.  The  spectacle 
grieved  the  spirit  of  Luther,  and  he  gently  remonstrated  against 
it  from  the  pulpit  of  Wittemberg.  The  least  opposition  was 
sufficient  to  rouse  the  haughty  spirit  of  Tetzel.  He  stormed  and 
raged,  and  constructed  a  pile  of  wood,  and  set  it  on  fire,  to  shew 

■^  That  the  Protestant  reader  may  see  to  what  extent  this  sale  has 
been  carried  on  since  the  reformation,  in  Popish  countries,  and  how  mucL 
we  are  indebted  to  Martin  Luther  ;  the  following  fact  is  added,  as  givei. 
by  Milner.  "  In  the  year  1709,  the  privateers  of  Bristol  took  a  galleon, 
in  which  they  found  500  bales  of  bulls,  for  indulgences,  and  16  reams 
were  in  a  bale.  .So  that  they  reckon  the  whole  came  to  3,840,000, 
averaging  in  price  from  20  pence  to  eleven  pounds.''  In  Spain  and  Por- 
tugal, the  traffic  is  still  continued.  In  Spain,  the  King  has  the  profits. 
In  Portugal,  the  King  and  the  Pope  go  shares. 

A  short  time  since,  a  gentleman,  to  ascertain  the  present  state  of  things, 
went  to  the  office  at  Naples,  and  for  two  sequins  purchased  a  plenary  re- 
mission of  all  sins  for  himself,  and  any  two  persons,  whose  names  he  should 
inserts 


Chap.  II.  luther  opposes  tetzel.  225 

what  he  would  do  to  the  man,  who  should  dare  call  in  question, 
tiie  holiness  of  his  sales.  The  effect  of  this  on  Luther's  mind, 
was  to  lead  him  to  examine  thoroughly  the  subject ;  and,  being 
satisfied  of  the  iniquity  of  the  traffic,  he  came  out  with  great 
boldness  against  it ;  warned  the  people  apnin?t  trusting  to  any 
thing  for  salvation  devised  by  man ;  wrote  to  Albert,  elector  of 
Mentz,  to  whose  jurisdiction  the  country  was  immediately  sub- 
ject, exposing  the  wickedness  of  the  sellers  of  indulgences,  and 
reproacliing  the  sales,  and  even  dared  to  publish  95  theses,  in 
which  he  developed  his  opinions  concerning  this  iniquitous  traf- 
fic and  challenged  its  friends  to  defend  it. 

Luther  as  yet,  thought  not  of  the  wonderful  things  which  he 
was  to  accomplish.  As  fully  as  any  man,  he  acknowledged  the 
supremacy  of  the  Pope,  and  the  propriety  of  his  granting  indul- 
gences, remitting  church  censures  and  temporal  punishments  ; 
but  his  mind  was  satisfied  respecting  the  Pope's  utter  impotence, 
to  remit  divine  punishment,  either  in  this  or  the  future  world. 
In  a  subsequent  account  of  himself,  he  says,  "  I  was  compelled 
in  my  conscience,  to  expose  the  scandalous  sale  of  indulgences. 
I  found  myself  in  it  alone,  and  as  it  were,  by  surprise.  And 
when  it  became  impossible  for  me  to  retreat,  I  made  many  con- 
cessions to  the  Pope  ;  not  however,  in  many  important  points  ; 
but  certainly  at  that  time,  I  adored  him  in  earnest.'* 

The  boldness  of  Luther,  in  doing  what  no  one  else  dared  to 
do,  and  what  almost  every  one  wished  to  have  done,  attracted 
great  attention  and  applause  throughout  Germany.  His  theses 
spread  into  every  city  and  village,  and  were  read  by  all  classes 
of  people  with  amazing  avidity.  Tetzel,  finding  it  necessary  for 
him  to  do  more  than  rage  and  threaten,  published  in  opposition 
to  Luther,  one  hundred  and  six  propositions,  in  which  he  made 
some  efforts  to  refute  the  arguments  of  the  bold  reformer. 
Other  champions  of  the  Papal  cause  also  came  out  in  its  defence ; 
particularly  Prierias,  a  Dominican  friar  and  Inquisitor  General ; 
and  Eckius,  a  renowned  professor  of  divinity  at  Ingoldstadt. 
But  Luther  stood  firm  against  every  adversary.  He  had  the 
Scriptures  in  his  hands,  and  from  them  he  was  able  to  draw 
weapons  of  defence,  which,  in  every  contest,  gave  him  the 
decided  advantage. 

Although  Luther  had  ventured  to  attack  a  power  which  ap- 
peared invincible,  yet  there  were  several  circumstances  occur- 
ring in  that  period  which  surprisingly  favoured  his  cause.  The 
Papal  power  had  risen  to  a  height  which  could  not  long  be 
sustained.  The  exorbitant  wealth,  and  dissolute  manners  of 
the  Clergy  had  alienated  from  them  every  reflecting  mind.     A 


226  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD  III. 

general  demand  for  more  than  a  century  had  been  made,  for  a 
council  which  should  reform  abuses.  The  revival  of  learning  ; 
in  the  west  of  Europe,  in  consequence  of  the  literati  havingg, 
sought  refuge  from  Constar.tinople,  reduced  by  the  Turks,  in^ 
Italy,  and  France,  and  Germany,  where  they  became  instructors 
of  youth  in  all  the  public  seminaries  of  learning,  and  introduced  I 
a  taste  for  the  study  of  ihe  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  authors ; 
had  roused  the  human  mind  to  a  sense  of  its  native  dignity  and  1- 
worth,  and  introduced  a  bold  spirit  of  investigation  into  the 
correctness  of  long  established  notions,  and  an  ardent  desire  for 
improvement  in  every  art  and  science.  The  art  of  printing, 
which  had  been  invented  in  Germany  about  the  year  1440, 
gave  the  world  in  1450,  at  Mentz,  a  printed  Bible  ;  and  ena- 
bled mankind  to  multiply  copies  of  books  to  almost  any  extent,  , 
with  amazing  rapidity  and  but  little  comparative  expense. 
Before  that  period,  books  were  written  out  with  the  pen  on 
parchment,*  whiv.h  made  them  very  expensive  and  scarce.  Had 
Luther  then  risen  he  would  have  communicated  his  sentiments 
to  but  very  few,  for  what  he  communicated  must  have  been 
chiefly  from  the  pulpit.  Whatever  he  wrote  would  scarce  have 
been  read  by  a  hundred  persons.  ^But  appearing  as  he  did,  at 
this  fortunate  moment,  when  the  discovery  of  this  wonderful 
art  had  not  only  rendered  the  multiplication  of  books  easy,  but 
had  raised  in  the  world  an  astonishing  thirst  for  reading,  Lu- 
ther's books  at  once  filled  Europe,  and  his  opposition  to  the 
corruptions  of  the  Papacy  became  the  subject  of  universal  con- 
versation. Luther  himself  was  a  Franciscan  friar.  Tetzel,  a 
Dominican.  These  orders  were  bitter  enemies,  and  it  was 
only  for  Luther  to  imitate  PauK  when  he  exclaimed,  1  am  a  Pha- 
risee, the  son  of  a  Pharisee,  to  enlist  in  his  favour  the  whole  body 
of  the  Franciscans,  though  they  had  ever  been  firm  supporters 
of  the  Papal  dominion 

But  while  these  and  other  circumstances  may  be  pointed  out 
as  propitious  to  the  cause  of  Luther,  his  astonishing  success 
must  and  will,  by  every  pious  mind,  be  ascribed  to  the  over- 
rulmg  providence  of  God.    It  was  the  great  Head  of  the  Church, 

*  The  Jews  wrote  the  OIJ  Testament  on  skins  with  very  great  care, 
and  connected  them  together  and  rolled  them  in  a  double  roll.  The  Greek 
manuscripts  were  written  in  capital  letters,  and  without  any  separation  of 
words ;  thus, 

BLESSEDAKETHEPE/VDWHODIEINTHELORD. 

No  manuscript  of  the  New  Testament  extant,  can  be  traced  higher  than 
the  fourth  century.  Most  of  the  Hebrew  manuscripts  were  written  be- 
tween the  years  1000  and  1457.  Those  of  an  earlier  period  have  been,  fov 
some  reasons  unknown,  destroyed. 


Chap.  11.  revival  of  learning.  227 

ever  watchful  of  that  which  he  had  purchased  with  his  own  blood, 
who  raised  up  this  wonderful  reformer,  gave  him  his  astonishing 
talents  and  ardent  love  of  truth,  preserved  bij=  life  amid  many 
•langers,  and  enabled  him  to  expose  the  corruptions  of  the  Man 
of  sin,  and  lead  forth  the  Church  from  this  worse  than  Egyptian 
bondage. 

Leo  X.  the  Roman  Pontiff,  at  first  viewed  the  contest  in 
Germany  with  indifference  ;  supposing  it  to  be  only  a  contest, 
not  uncommon  in  that  age,  between  a  Dominican  and  Francis- 
can monk.  "  Brother  Martin,"  said  he,  *'  is  a  man  of  a  very 
hue  genius,  and  these  squabbles  are  the  mere  effusions  of 
monastic  envy."  But  on  being  fully  informed  of  its  nature  and 
extent,  he  became  alarmed,  and  summoned  Luther,  July  1518, 
to  appear  at  Rome,  within  sixty  days,  to  answer  for  his  conduct 
before  the  Auditor  of  the  Chamber,  and  Prierias,  the  Inquisitor 
General.  Luther  knew  there  would  be  no  safety  for  him  at 
Rome  ;  and,  through  the  earnest  solicitation  of  his  patron, 
Frederick  the  Wise,  he  obtained  liberty  to  have  his  cause  tried 
before  Cardinal  Cajetan,  who  was  then  the  pope's  legate,  in 
Germany.  Within  sixteen  days  after  his  citation,  however,  he 
was  condemned  as  an  incorrigible  heretic  at  Rome  by  the  Bishop 
of  Ascoli,  the  Auditor  of  the  Apostolical  Chamber; — such  was 
the  sincerity  of  the  Pope  in  granting  him  a  hearing  in  Germany. 
{,  Having  obtained  a  sate  conduct  from  the  Emperor,  Luthe 
appeared  before  Cajetan  at  Augsburg,  in  the  month  of  October; 
but  Cajetan  was  a  Dominican,  the  avowed  friend  of  Tetzel,  and 
f^nemy  of  Luther,  He  did  nothing  but  require  Luther,  in  a 
most  arrogant  manner,  immediately  to  renounce  his  opinions  and 
return  into  the  bosom  of  the  church,  and  this  without  having  one 

^  of  them  proved  erroneous.  Such  an  assumption  of  authority  was 
not  at  all  calculated  to  intimidate  or  move  such  a  mind  as  Martin 
Luther's.  He  expressed  the  utmost  reverence  for  the  Pope, 
but  declared  he  would  never  renounce  opinions  which  he  viewed 

j  as  scriptural,  without  being  convinced  of  his  error.  Cajetan 
immediately  threatened  him  with  i\v:  heaviest  church  censures  ; 
and  it  being  evident  that  nothing  awaited  him  but  the  severest 
measures,  the  reformer  secretly  withdrew  from  the  presence 
of  the  Cardinal  and  returned  to  Wittemberg  ;  appealing  from  the 

,  Pope  himself,  "ill-informed,  to  the  same  Leo  X.  better  informed." 

I  This  appeal  however,  was  soou  evidently  hopeless  ;  for  the 
[  Pope  issued  a  special  edict,  commanding  all  his  subjects  "  to 

acknowledge  his  power  of  delivering  from  all  the  punishments 
i  due  to  sin  and  transgression  of  every  kind."     This  completely 

II  shut  the  door  against  all  hope  of  reconciliation  but  by  a  {h^pxt 


228  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD   111. 

and  full  renunciation  of  all  his  opinions,  and  Luther  appealed  to 
a  general  Council  as  superior  to  the  Pope. 

Hoping  to  reclaim  Luther  by  a  messenger  of  more  mildness 
and  cunning  than  Cardinal  Cajetan,  Leo  sent  Charles  Miltitz,  a 
Saxon  knight,  in  1519,  to  negociate  with  him.  To  conciliate 
the  elector  Frederick,  Miltitz  carried  to  him  the  golden  conse- 
crated rose,  the  peculiar  mark  of  the  Pope's  favour  ;  and,  to 
gain  Luther,  he  rebuked  Tetzel  with  the  greatest  severity. 
The  elector  received  the  bauble,  which  once  he  desired,  with 
indifference.  With  the  reformer,  Miltitz  had  several  interviews, 
but  they  were  fruitless  as  to  the  great  point.  He  persuaded 
Luther,  however,  to  write  a  submissive  letter  to  the  Pope,  and 
agreed  with  the  elector  to  refer  the  whole  subject  to  the  first 
diet  held  by  the  new  emperor  of  Germany,  Charles  V.  In  his 
letter,  Luther  expressed  a  great  reverence  for  the  church  of 
Rome  ;  declared  that  his  great  object  was  to  honour  that  church, 
and,  though  he  could  not  renounce  his  opinions  without  being 
convinced  that  he  was  in  an  error,  yet  he  would,  in  future,  be 
silent  respecting  indulgences,  if  his  enemies  would  no  longer 
persecute  him. 

Of  the  popularity  of  Luther  at  this  period,  some  judgment 
may  be  formed  from  the  following  extract  from  one  of  his  letters, 
"  Charles  Miltitz  saw  me  at  Altenburg,  and  complained  that  I 
had  united  the  whole  world  to  myself,  and  drawn  it  aside  from 
the  Pope  ;  that  he  had  discovered  this  at  the  inns  as  he  travel- 
led. '  Martin,'  said  he,  '  you  are  so  much  favoured  with 
the  popular  opinion,  that  I  could  not  expect  with  the  help  of 
25,000  soldiers,  to  force  you  with  me  to  Rome.'  " 

Soon  after  his  conferences  with  Miltitz,  Luther  was  brought 
into  a  public  dispute  with  Eckius.  This  learned  and  brilliant 
professor  of  theology,  flattered  himself,  that,  in  public  debate, 
he  could  silence  these  young  reformers ;  and  he  challenged 
Carolstadt,  the  colleague  and  friend  of  Luther,  to  a  public  dispute 
on  the  controverted  points,  at  Leipsic.  The  assembly  was  large, 
and  the  dispute  between  these  combatants  was  carried  on  for  four- 
teen days;  and  such  were  the  plaudits  bestowed  upon  Eckius,  that 
he  challenged  Luther  to  engage  in  the  combat.  Luther  accepted 
the  challenge,  and  the  dispute  continued  ten  days.  But  Eckius 
was  not  here  as  triumphant  as  before.  He  found  his  antago- 
nist well  acquainted  with  the  sacred  scriptures ;  honest  in  the 
sacred  cause ;  dexterous  ;  eloquent,  and  a  firm  expectant  of  the 
blessing  of  Heaven.  Many  were  the  points  in  debate  j  but 
the  chief  one  regarded  the  superiority  of  the  Roman  See. 
Luther  declared  it  impious  to  maintain  the  divine  right  of  the 


Chap.  n.  zuinglius.     erasmus.  229 

Pope  to  act  as  the  vicar  of  Christ,  though  he  willingly  allowed 
him  a  supremacy  above  others,  from  the  universal  consent  of  the 
church.  He  was  daily  drawing  nearer  to  the  evangelical  liberty 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  though  by  slow  advances.  Both  parties 
claimed  the  victory  ;  but  the  dispute  was  in  general  advantageous 
to  the  reformation  ;  for  the  more  the  corruptions  of  Popery  were 
discussed,  the  more  were  the  minds  of  men  enlightened,  and 
their  consciences  set  free.  In  the  close  of  1519,  Luther  began 
to  preach  and  write  on  the  administration  of  the  sacrament,  in 
both  kinds,  which  exceedingly  exasperated  his  enemies.  But 
said  he,  "  Let  us  in  faith  and  prayer  commit  the  event  to  God, 
and  we  shall  be  safe." 

While  Luther  was  thus  gaining  and  diffusing  knowledge  in 
Germany,  and  opposing  the  corruptions  of  Popery,  a  spirit  of 
reform  similar  to  his  own  was  roused  in  Switzerland.  There  the 
Franciscans  had  carried  on  the  scandalous  traffic  to  an  awful 
extent,  and  the  minds  of  the  people  were  perfectly  infatuated. 
Huldric  Zuinglius,  a  man  not  inferior  to  Luther,  dared  to  oppose 
it  in  the  summer  of  1518  ;  and  though  condemned  by  the  uni- 
versities of  Cologne  and  Louvaine,  he  advanced  with  bold  and 
rapid  steps  toward  a  complete  and  thorough  reformation. 

The  greatest  scholar  of  the  age  was  Erasmus.  He  was  or- 
dained a  priest  in  1492,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six.  The  great 
object  of  his  life  was  the  revival  of  literature.  He  was  exten- 
sively acquainted  with  the  theology  then  uni  rersally  received, 
and  he  became  a  most  severe  satirist  upon  all  its  superstitions 
and  follies.  He,  by  his  sound  reasoning,  his  invective  and  rail- 
lery, first  sowed  the  seeds  of  reformation  in  Europe.  But  he 
had  not  the  courage  to  become  an  open  opponent  of  the  Pope. 
"  Every  man,"  said  he,  "  hath  not  the  courage  requisite  to 
make  a  martyr;  and  I  am  afraid  that  if  I  were  put  to  the  trial, 
I  should  imitate  St.  Peter."  He  repressed  and  moderated  his 
zeal,  therefore,  against  the  errors  of  popery,  while  he  was  a 
friend  and  admirer  of  Luther ;  and  did  more  than  almost  any 
other  man  in  promoting  the  study  of  the  sacred  scriptures. 

The  celebrated  Philip  Melanchton,  who  became  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  coadjutors  of  Luther,  was  at  the  pubhc  dispute 
at  Leipsic.  He  was  then  twenty-three  years  of  age  ;  but  such 
were  his  attainments  in  literature,  that  he  had  been  made  pro- 
fessor of  Greek  at  Wittemberg.  So  fully  was  he  convinced  of 
the  soundness  of  Luther's  principles,  that,  from  the  time  of  his 
dispute  with  Eckius,  he  enlisted  with  ardour  in  the  cause  of  the 
reformalron.     Other  men  w€rc  present  at  the  sanre  disputatrom, 


230  REFORMATioKr.  Period  liL 

who  afterwards  became  distinguished  lights  and  guides  in  thd 
cause  of  truth  and  liberty 

But  one  prince,  as  yet,  publicly  declared  in  favour  of  Luthen 
This  was  his  patron,  Frederic,  elector  of  Saxony.  He  was  a 
diligent  searcher  of  the  sacred  scriptures ;  had  become  much 
dissatisfied  with  the  usual  modes  of  interpretation,  and  with  the 
abominations  of  popery  ;  and,  as  far  as  he  could,  without  pro- 
voking the  vengeance  of  Rome,  to  whom  he  still  was  conscien- 
tiously subject,  he  aided  Luther  in  his  arduous  work.  At  the 
death  of  Maximilian,  the  emperor,  in  1519,  Frederic  acted  as 
vicar  of  the  empire  during  the  interregnum,  and  protected  Lu- 
theranism  from  the  violent  assaults  of  its  enemies. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  June,  one  thousand  five  hundred  and 
twenty,  Luther  was  publicly  denounced  by  the  church  of  Rome. 
Forty-one  propositions  from  his  works  were  condemned  as  he- 
retical ;  all  pious  persons  were  forbidden  to  read  his  works  on 
pain  of  excommunication  ;  such  as  had  them,  were  commanded 
to  burn  them  ;  and  he.  himself,  if  he  did  not  in  sixty  days  re- 
cant his  errors  and  burn  his  books,  was  to  be  excommunicated 
and  delivered  unto  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  his  flesh. 
All  secular  princes  were  required,  under  pain  of  incurring  the 
same  censures,  and  of  forfeiting  all  their  dignities,  to  seize  his 
person,  that  he  might  be  punished  as  his  crimes  deserved. 

The  church  of  Rome  had  become  fully  satisfied,  that  they 
could  never  reclaim  him  ;  and  that  the  only  way  to  save  them- 
selves was  to  proceed  violently  against  him.  Luther  had  made 
astonishing  advances  in  the  discovery  of  truth,  and  by  almost  in- 
numerable letters,  tracts,  sermons  and  commentaries  on  scrip- 
ture, had  diffused  his  sentiments  throughout  Europe,  and  made 
many  distinguished  and  powerful  converts. 

The  papists  exulted  at  the  publication  of  the  pope's  bull. 
They  had  been  accustomed  to  see  this  terminate  all  controver- 
sies, and  they  supposed  that  it  would  forever  silence  the  re- 
former. But  it  had  very  little  effect  upon  his  mind,  or  his 
cause.  It  came  too  late  to  command  submission  in  Germany. 
This  intrepid  man  erected  without  the  walls  of  Wittemberg  an 
immense  pile  of  wood  ;  and  there,  in  presence  of  the  professors 
and  students  of  the  university,  and  a  vast  crowd  of  spectators, 
committed  the  papal  bull  to  the  flames,  together  with  the  vo- 
lumes of  the  canon  law,  the  rule  of  the  pontifical  jurisdiction. 

By  this  public  act  he  left  the  Roman  communion.  He  de- 
nounced the  pope  of  Rome  as  the  Man  of  sin.  He  waged  open 
war  with  the  whole  papal  establishment,  and  exhorted  all  chris- 
tian rulers  and  people  to  separate  from  it.      By  this  bold  agt 


Chap.  11.  diet  at  worms.  S31 

the  die  was  cast.  There  was  henceforth  no  reconciliation.  In 
less  than  a  month  after,  a  second  bull,  a  bull  of  excommunica- 
tion, was  issued  against  him,  but  it  was  only  the  distant  echo  of 
thunder  which  had  already  lost  its  power  to  terrify  or  destroy. 

Luther  now  resolved  upon  re-establishing  the  Church  of  God 
upon  a  proper  basis.  In  the  Roman  Church  he  could  neither 
find  the  form  nor  spirit  of  the  gospel.  He  saw  and  felt  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  Church  in  which  the  Papal  dominion  the  injunction 
of  celibacy  in  the  clergy,  the  monastic  vow,  the  intercession  of 
saints,  auricular  confession,  pilgrimage  and  penances,  and  the  im- 
aginary existence  of  purgatory, should  find  no  place;  and  in  which 
the  true  doctrine  of  justification  and  acceptance  with  God  should 
be  properly  received  and  applied,  and  gospel  discipline  be  duly 
administered.  In  his  various  schemes  of  reformation,  he  wa^^ 
warmly  seconded  by  the  members  and  professors  of  his  own 
university,  and  by  many  pious  and  learned  men  scattered 
throughout  Europe.  But  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1521,  he 
was  summoned  to  appear  at  the  diet  of  Worms. 

This  diet  was  the  general  assembly  of  the  German  empire, 
composed  of  all  its  princes,  archbishops,  and  bishops,  and  many 
abbots,  and  convened  by  Charles  V.  for  the  purpose  of  check- 
ing the  new  religious  opinions  which  threatened  to  destroy  the 
ancient  faith  of  Europe  No  sooner  was  it  convened,  and 
certain  formalities  were  settled,  than  the  papal  legates  demand- 
ed an  immediate  procedure  against  Luther.  But  his  friends 
plead  the  unreasonableness  of  condemning  a  man  unheard,  and 
the  whole  assembly  concurred  in  admitting  him  to  their  pre- 
sence. Frederic,  however,  would  not  consent  to  his  appearing 
■without  a  safe  conduct.  This  the  emperor  was  compelled 
to  grant.  His  friends,  however,  were  very  fearful  of  his  suf- 
fering the  fate  of  John  Huss,  and,  on  his  way,  besought  him 
to  retire  to  some  place  of  safety.  But,  said  the  intrepid  re- 
former, *'  I  am  lawfully  called  to  appear  in  that  city,  and  thither 
will  I  go  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  though  as  many  devils 
as  there  are  tiles  on  the  houses,  were  there  combined  against 
me." 

At  Worms,  Luther  met  with  a  reception  which  must  have 
been  gratifying  to  his  feelings,  though  he  feared  God  more  than 
he  desired  the  praise  of  man.  Vast  crowds  gathered  around 
him  to  behold  the  man  who  had  so  boldly  attacked  the  corrup- 
tions of  popery  and  introduced  a  new  religion.  The  most  im- 
portant characters  in  church  and  slate  filled  his  apartments, 
and  he  was  conducted  to  the  Diet  by  the  marshal  of  the  empire, 
ijlis  conduct,  in  presence  of  that  august  assembly,  was  very  be- 


^s> 


«2:32  REF0RMATI0I7. 

coming  a  man  of  God.  He  was  meek  and  civil,  but  firm.  Wheii 
called  upon  to  acknowledge  his  writings,  he  did  it  without  hesi- 
tation \  but  he  solemnly  and  boldly  refused  to  renounce  his  opi- 
nions, unless  convinced  of  their  error  from  the  word  of  God. 
In  a  speech  of  two  hours,  first  made  in  German,  and  then  re- 
peated in  Latin,  he  boldly  vindicated  the  course  he  had  taken, 
and  gained  the  applause  of  one  half  the  assembly.  But  while 
the  subject  was  in  agitation  and  while  many  efforts  were  making 
in  private  to  reclaim  the  reformer,  Luther  received  a  message 
from  the  emperor,  directing  him  immediately  to  depart  from 
Worms  and  return  home,  because  he  persisted  in  his  contuma- 
cy and  would  not  return  into  the  bosom  of  the  church. 

x\fter  lie  left  the  diet,  a  decree  was  passed  declaring  him  an. 
excommunicated,  notorious  heretic  ;  and  forbidding  all  persons, 
under  the  penalty  of  high  treason,  to  receive,  maintain,  or  pro- 
tect him. 

Foreseeing  the  storm  that  was  bursting  upon  his  favourite 
professor,  Frederic  provided  three  or  four  horsemen,  disguised 
in  masks,  in  whom  he  could  confide,  and  placed  them  in  a  wood 
near  Eisenach  ;  from  whence  as  he  was  returning  home,  they 
rushed  out  upon  Luther,  took  him  by  force,  and  carried  him  to 
the  castle  of  Wartburg.  There  he  lay  concealed  for  ten  months 
from  thesearch  of  his  implacable  adversaries  ;  and  in  this  retreat> 
which  he  called  his  Patmos,  he  pursued  his  studies,  and  produced 
some  works  particularly  a  translation  of  the  New  Testament, 
which  were  highly  useful  to  the  cause  of  the  reformation. 

The  friends  of  Luther  were  exceedingly  discomfited  at  his 
sudden  disappearance.  They  were  generally  ready  to  believe 
that  a  band  of  assassins  had  waylaid  and  killed  him.  They  had 
not  the  courage  or  ability  to  do  much  without  him,  and  were  for 
a  period  covered  with  gloom.  Luther  had  friends  who  commu- 
nicated to  him  the  knowledge  of  all  that  transpired.  Here  ho 
was  told  that  the  University  of  Paris,  the  most  venerable  of  the 
learned  societies  of  Europe,  from  which  he  had  hoped  much 
favourable  to  his  cause,  had  passed  a  solemn  censure  upon  his 
vi^ritings  ;  and  that  Henry  VHL  king  of  England,  had  published 
an  answer  to  a  treatise  of  his  entitled  the  Babylonish  Captivity, 
and  for  it  had  received  from  the  Pope  the  title  o^  Defender  ofth$ 
Faith.  A  circumstance,  however,  which  affected  him  more  than 
either  of  these  (for  Luther  was  not  a  man  who  was  to  be  over- 
awed by  monarchs  or  universities)  v/as  the  conduct  of  his  own 
friend  and  partizan  Carlostadt,  who  had  attempted  to  carry  on 
the  work  of  reformation  by  violence  ;  throwing  down  and  break- 
mg  the  images  of  saints,  aixd  stripping  the  churches  ojid  publiv 


Chap.  11.  luther's  bible.  ^23^ 

places  of  the  various  ensigns  of  popery.  Luther  siiw  that  this 
was  no  way  to  reform  the  Church  ;  that  error  must  first  be  era- 
dicated from  the  minds  of  the  people,  before  any  thing  could  be 
effected  to  any  good  purpose  ;  and  that  if  this  was  once  done, 
images  and  rehcs,  and  other  superstitions,  would  of  course  fall. 

Safety  was  valuable,  but  his  own  preservation  was  not  what; 
the  reformer  sought.  He  felt  for  the  good  of  the  Church,  and 
was  anxious  again  to  be  engaged  in  her  conflicts.  '^  I  sit  here," 
said  he  in  a  letter  to  Melanchton,  "  in  my  Patmos,  reflecting  all 
the  day  on  the  wretched  condition  of  the  Church.  And  I  be- 
moan the  hardness  of  my  heart  that  I  am  not  dissolved  into  tears 
on  this  account.  May  God  have  mercy  upon  us."  And  again, 
"  For  the  glory  of  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  mutual  confir- 
mation of  myself  and  others,  I  would  much  rather  burn  on  the 
live  coal,  than  hve  here  alone,  half  alive  and  useless.  If  I  perish 
it  is  God's  will ;  neither  will  the  Gospel  suffer  in  any  degree.  I 
hope  you  will  succeed  me,  as  Ehsha  did  Elijah." 

The  intemperate  and  misguided  zeal  of  Carlostadt  brought 
Luther  from  liis  retreat  to  Wittemberg,  March  1522,  without 
the  consent  or  knowledge  of  his  patron  and  protector,  Frederic. 
It  was  a  happy  event.  Carlostadt  and  his  party  listened  to  him 
as  to  a  voice  from  heaven,  and  order  was  restored. 

Luther's  first  business  was  the  publication  of  his  New  Testa- 
ment. This  struck  a  heavy  blow  at  the  root  of  Popery.  It  was 
rapidly  circulated,  and  read  with  avidity  by  all  classes  through- 
out Germany,  and  it  opened  the  eyes  of  men  to  the  true  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel,  and  enabled  them  at  once  to  see  clearly  the  cor- 
ruptions of  the  church  of  Rome.  He  afterwards  apphed  him- 
self to  the  translation  of  the  Old  Testament,  assisted  by  Melanch- 
ton, which  he  finished  and  pubUshed  in  1530  ;  a  work  of  amazing 
labour. 

Luther  also  resumed,  at  Wittemberg,  the  business  of  preacli- 
ing,  in  which  he  did  much  to  enlighten,  reform,  and  quiet  the 
people  of  Saxony.*     By  his  labours  many  souls  were  converted, 

"^  A  just  idea  of  Luther's  preaching  may  be  learned  from  the  following 
anecdote.  "  Luther  had  heard  the  celebrated  Bucer  preach  a  sermon,  and 
invited  him  to  supper.  After  commending  the  sermon,  he  said  he  could 
preach  better  than  Bucer.  Bucer  courteously  assented,  sayings,  that  by 
universal  consent,  that  praise  belonged  to  Luther.  Luther  then,  se- 
riously replied,  do  not  think  that  I  am  vainly  boasting  ;  I  am  conscious  of 
my  own  slender  stores,  nor  could  I  preach  so  learned  a  sermon  as  you  have 
done  to-day  ;  but  my  practice  is  this  : — When  I  ascend  the  pulpit,  I  consi- 
der what  is  the  character  of  my  hearers,  most  of  whom  are  rude  and  unin- 
structed  people,  almost  Goths  and  Vandals,  and  I  preach  to  them  what  I 
think;  they  can  undei-?tand.     But  you  rise  aloft,  and  soar  into  the  clouds ; 

20* 


"234  REFORMATION  PbRIOD  UK 

and  many  evils  were  corrected  in  the  churches.  The  friends  oi 
the  reformation  were  every  where  animated  and  strengthened. 
Nuremberg,  Frankfort,  Hamburg,,  and  other  free  cities  of  the 
first  rank,  openly  embraced  the  principles  of  the  reformer,  and 
abolished  the  mass,  aiid  other  rites  of  popery,  ^ome  high 
princes  also^  the  elector  of  Brandenburgh,  the  dukes  of  Bruns- 
v/ick  and  Lunenburgh,  and  prince  of  Anhalt,  declared  openly  on 
«he  side  of  Luther,  and  supported  his  preachers  in  their  domia- 
ions.  The  Gospel  again  was  preached  with  great  power  ;  the 
u:ord  of  the  Lord  had  free  course  and  was  glorified,. 


CHAPTER  XIL 

Reformation  spreads.  Death  of  Leo  X.  Sacramental  contro- 
versy. War  of  the  peasants.  Death  of  Frederic.  Decision 
of  John.  Martyrs.  Diet  at  Spire.  Luther  marries.  Writes, 
in  vain,  submissive  letters.  Publishes  his  hymns,  Jin  attempt 
made  to  poison  him.  His  conflict  with  llrasmus.  Second  diet 
at  Spire.  The  reformers  condemned ,  and  protest.  Called  Pro- 
testants. Diet  at  Augsburg.  Confession  of  Augsburg.  League 
of  Smalkeld.  Peace  of  Nuremberg.  Anabaptists.  Refor- 
mation i7i  England.  Conference  at  Worms.  Death  of  Luther. 
Council  of  Trent.  Battle  of  Mukleberg.  Interim.  Peace  of 
religion.  Reformation  in  Sxmtzerland,  Zuinglius.  Calvin. 
Reformation  in  Holland  and  Scotland.  John  Knox.  Senti- 
ments of  the  reformers.  Church  government.  Blessings  of  the 
reformation. 

Thk  light  of  the  reformation,  like  that  of  the  orient  sun,  soon 
spread  over  the  various  countries  of  Europe.  The  followers^ 
of  Luther  had  a  feeling  in  relation  to  papal  Rome,  similar  to 
that  which  filled  the  breasts  of  the  Apostles,  when  they  looked 
abroad  and  saw  the  whole  earth  given  to  idolatry.  Their  im- 
mediate duty  was  to  enlighten  man  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  Under  the  influence  of  this  feeling,  Glaus  Petri  propa- 
gated the  reformed  religion  in  Sweden,  soon  after  Luther's  rup- 
ture with  Rome.  The  Catholic  priests  made  violent  opposition 
to  him,  but  his  efforts  were  powerfully  seconded  by  the  mo- 
narch, Gustavus  Vas.a,  who,  while  an  exile  at  Lubec,  had  learnt 

iro  that  your  sermons  suit  the  learned,  but  are  uninteiligibla  to  our  plain 
^jf-Dple.  I  endeavour  to  copy  the  mother,  who  thicks  the  child  better  fed 
^.Tith  the  simple  milk  of  the  breast,  thnn  with  the  most  costly  confections.'-^ 


Chap.  12.       in  Sweden  and  Denmark.  23^ 

something  of  Lutheranism,  and  gained  a  favourable  opinion  of 
it  as  the  true  gospel.  Persuaded  that  the  only  way  to  effect  a 
real  reformation,  was  to  enlighten  the  minds  of  the  people  in 
divine  truth,  he  ordered  Andreas,  his  chancellor,  with  Olaus,  to 
translate  the  scriptures  into  the  Swedish  tongue  ;  and,  to  silence 
the  objections  of  the  Papists,  he  ordered  the  archbishop  of  Up- 
sal  also  to  translate  them,  that  the  two  versions  might  be  com- 
pared, and  that  it  might  be  seen  on  which  side  truth  lay.  Ho 
also  ordered  a  conference  at  Up?al  between  Petri  and  Gallius, 
a  zealous  Papist,  in  which  Petri  gained  the  victory.  For  a 
time,  the  situation  of  Sweden  was  critical.  In  no  countries 
had  the  Catholics  reaped  greater  temporal  benetits  from  their 
superstitions,  than  in  Sweden  and  Denmark.  The  revenues  of 
the  bishops  were  superior  to  that  of  the  sovereign.  They  had 
strong  castles  and  fortresses,  and  lived  in  the  greatest  luxury  ; 
while  the  nobility  and  people  were  in  the  lowest  state  of  degra- 
dation. But  they  could  not  withstand  the  noble  Gustavus.  In 
1527,  he  assembled  the  states  at  Westeraas,  snd,  after  power- 
fully recommending  th'e  doctrine  of  the  reformers,  declared  that 
he  would  lay  down  his  sceptre  and  retire  from  the  kingdom,  if 
it  longer  continued  subject  to  the  Papal  dominion.  Opposition 
was  silenced  ;  the  Papal  empire  in  Sweden  was  overturned,  and 
the  reformed  religion  was  publicly  adopted.   * 

In  1522,  Christian  II.,  king  of  Denmark,  a  man  profligate 
and  ambitious  in  the  extreme,  who  merely  wished  to  throw  off 
the  Papal  dominion,  that  he  might  subject  the  bishops  and  in- 
crease his  own  power,  sent  to  VYittemberg  for  a  preacher  of  the 
reformation.  Martin  Reinard  accepted  of  the  invitation,  and 
his  labours  were  greatly  blessed.  But  such  were  the  vices  of 
the  king,  that  the  reformation  was  greatly  retarded,  and  it  was 
not  until  succeeding  periods,  under  Frederic  and  Christian  IIL 
that  it  was  completed. 

In  Hungary  and  Prussia,  a  strong  desire  was  manifested  intlie 
same  year,  to  receive  the  light  of  the  reformation,  and  even  to 
see  and  hear  Luther  himself 

In  France  there  was  a  multitude  of  persons,  who  with  Marga- 
ret, queen  of  Navarre,  sister  to  Francis  I.,  at  their  head,  as  early 
as  1523,  felt  very  favourably  inclined  tov.'ard  the  reformed  reli- 
gion, and  erected  several  churches  for  a  purer  worship.  But 
the  reformed  were  exceedingly  depressed  by  the  strong  arm  of' 
civil  power.  The  French  had  a  translation  of  the  Bible,  which 
had  been  made  in  1224,  by  Quivers  des  Moulins,  which  was 
-printed  at  Paris  in  1487,  and  now  much  read  ;  and  t-hc  Psato& 
put  into  metre  and  gung  as  ballad?. 


^S3#  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD    IIL« 

While  Leo  X.  was  suffering  the  severe  mortification  of  see- 
ing the  cause  of  the  reformation  advance  with  rapid  steps,  he 
departed  this  life,  A.  D.  1522.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  pope- 
dom by  Adrian  VI.,  who  died  the  next  year,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Clement  VII.  Each  pursued,  unremittingly,  the  same  course ; 
for  the  extermination,  if  possible,  of  the  new  opinions  and  the 
preservation  of  the  papal  dominion. 

Could  Luther  and  his  partizans  have  been  firmly  united,  their 
success  might  have  been  more  speedy,  if  not  ultimately  greater; 
but  how  could  it  be  expected  that  men,  just  emerging  from  the^ 
grossest  superstitions,  should  have  at  once  a  full,  clear  and  uni- 
form view  of  divine  truth.  In  the  year  1624,  arose  a  tedious 
and  unhappy  controversy  between  the  Reformer,  Carlostadt, 
and  Zuingluis,  on  the  sacrament  of  the  supper.  While  Luther 
rejected  the  popish  doctrine  of  transubstantiation  as  unscriptu- 
ral,  he  still  believed  that,  along  with  the  bread  and  wine,  the 
partakers  received  the  real  body  and  blood  of  Christ.  Carlos- 
tadt, Zuinglius,  and  the  churches  in  Switzerland,  adopted  the 
truly  correct  system,  "  that  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  were 
not  really  present  in  the  eucharist,  and  that  the  bread  and  wine 
were  no  more  than  external  signs  or  symbols,  designed  to  excite 
in  the  minds  of  christians  the  remembrance  of  the  sufferings 
and  death  of  the  divine  Saviour,  and  of  the  benefits  which  arise 
from  it."  The  firmness  and  obstinacy  of  Luther  in  this  unfor- 
tunate contention,  were  as  great  as  in  his  attacks  upon  the  pa- 
pacy ;  and  friends,  who  had  embarked  together  in  the  most  im- 
portant of  causes,  were  ultimately  completely  severed. 

A  large  body  of  peasants  had  rebelled  in  Germany,  about  the 
commencement  of  the  reformation,  against  the  oppressions  of 
the  feudal  institutions.  Their  spirit  of  liberty  reached  those 
provinces  in  which  the  reformation  was  established,  and  imme- 
diately demanded  a  release  from  all  religious  domination.  But 
the  leaders  of  the  peasants  were  from  the  lowest  orders  of  soci- 
ety,and  very  ignorant  and  fanatical.  They  knew  not  in  what  a1pe- 
formation  consisted  beyond  plundering  monasteries  and  church- 
es, and  massacring  all  persons  without  discrimination,  who  up- 
held the  old  order  of  things.  Thomas  Muncer  had  acquired  an 
astonishing  influence  over  them.  He,  with  other  leaders,  Stork, 
Stubner,  and  Cellory,  professed  to  have  a  divine  commission, 
and  pretended  to  visions  and  revelations,  Luther  they  utterly 
condemned  as  no  reformer.  All  men  they  declared  equal ;  and 
they  viewed  it  the  duty  of  all  to  live  en  an  equality,  and  have 
all  things  common.  Their  seditious,  levelling,  demoralizing- 
spirit,  Luther  utterly  condemned  ;  but  it  was  exceedingly  popu 


Chap.   12.  war  of   the  peasants.  237 

dar,  and  an  immense  bodA^,  under  arms,  filled  Germany  with  ter- 
ror; but  they  were  routed  in  a  pitched  battle  with  the  empe-- 
ror's  troops-  and  Muncer  was  taken  and  put  to  death. 

This  war  of  the  peasants,  which  cost  Germany  more  than 
50,000  men,  was  unfavourable  to  the  cause  of  the  reformation  j 
for  it  gave  the  Papists  occasion  to  accuse  the  reformers  of  the 
wildest  fanaticism,  and  led  the  civil  powers  to  connect  a  revoIu> 
tion  in  politics  with  a  change  of  religion. 

On  the  tifth  of  May,  1525,  Luther  lost  his  patron,  Frederii" 
the  Wise.  He  had  been  a  very  zealoua  Papist  ;  but  his  mind 
•had  gradually  opened  to  the  reception  of  divine  truth  ;  and 
though  he  had  never  formally  broken  off  from  the  Roman 
church,  yet  he  was  for  many  years,  the  protector  and  shield  of 
the  reformers.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  John,  who 
at  once  took  a  decided  stand  in  favour  of  the  reformation  ;  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  the  Lutheran  church  ;  provided  a  new 
order  of  public  worship,  and  placed  over  every  congregation 
well  qualified  pastors  ;  had  the  sacrament  administered  to  the 
laity  in  the  German  language,  and  caused  his  new  regulations 
to  be  proclaimed  by  heralds  throughout  his  dominions.  Such 
decision  and  boldness  brought  out  other  princes  and  states  of 
Germany  in  favour  of  the  same  worship,  discipHne  and  govern- 
ment ;  and  also  drove  back  all  who  were  not  heartily  engaged 
in  the  cause,  or  who  had  not  boldness  to  wage  open  war  with 
the  pope,  into  the  bosom  of  the  church.  The  line  was  now 
clearly  drawn,  and  it  was  known  by  all  parties,  who  belonged  to 
the  reformed,  and  who  to  the  papal  cause.  The  increase  of 
evangelical  light  was  great.  The  call  for  preachers  of  the  truth 
was  unexpected  from  every  part  of  Germany,  and  from  distant 
places  in  Europe. 

But  a  reformation  was  not  to  be  effected,  without  the  shed' 
ding  of  blood.  James  Pavan  was  burnt  alive  at  Paris,  in 
1 525,  for  his  profession  of  pure  Christianity.  A  German,  named 
Wolfangus  Schuch,  was  condemned  to  the  same  dreadful  death. 
One  Bernard  also,  and  John  De  Becker,  obtained  the  crown  of 
martyrdom  from  the  hands  of  the  papists.  An  open  rupture 
seemed  unavoidable.  In  1526  the  diet  assembled  at  Spire  ;  and 
the  papal  party  endeavoured  to  have  the  sentence  of  Worms  againsi 
Luther  and  his  adherents  rigorously  executed.  But  the  German 
princes  refused  to  act  ;  declaring  that  points  of  doctrine  ought 
to  be  summitted  to  a  general  council ;  and  it  was  finally  agreed 
that  the  Emperor  should  be  requested  to  assemble  a  general 
council  without  delay,  and  that  in  the  meantime,  the  princes 
and  states  of  the  empire  should  be  suffered  to  manage  ecclesias-- 


238  REFORMATIO!?.  PeRIOD  IIi». 

tical  affairs  in  their  own  dominions,  as  they  should  think  most  ex- 
pedient, yet  so  as  to  be  able  to  give  to  God  and  the  Emperor,  an 
account  of  their  administration,  when  it  should  be  demanded  of 
them. 

This  was  probably  the  most  happy  termination  of  the  diet, 
for  the  Lutherans,  that  could  have  taken  place.  For  it  at  once, 
put  it  out  of  the  power  of  the  Papists  to  persecute  farther  the 
reformers,  and  gave  the  princes  who  favoured  the  reformation, 
an  opportunity  to  extend  their  patronage  to  the  utmost,  until 
Charles  V.  should  be  ready  to  convene  a  general  council ; — a 
period  evidently  far  distant,  for  the  troubled  state  of  his  im- 
mense dominions  engrossed  all  his  attention ;  and  the  Pope. 
Clement  VII.  had  entered  into  a  confederacy  with  Francis  I. 
and  the  Venetians  against  that  prince,  and  inflamed  his  resent- 
ment and  indignation,  to  such  a  degree,  that  Charles  felt  very 
little  disposition  to  do  any  thing  which  would  injure  the  Luther- 
ans, and  favour  the  papal  cause. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  his  patron,  Frederic,  Luther  was 
married  to  Catharine  Bore,  a  virtuous  nun,  of  noble  parent- 
age.' The  papists  reviled  him  for  this,  as  a  sensuahst,  and 
some  of  his  friends  thought  the  time  for  such  a  procedure  im- 
proper ;  but  Luther  had  openly  opposed  the  celibacy  of  the 
clergy,  and  he  said,  *  he  judged  it  right  to  confirm,  by  his  own 
example,  the  doctrine  he  had  taught ;  for  he  observed  many  were 
still  pusillanimous,  notwithstanding  the  great  hght  of  the 
Gospel.' 

Being  anxious,  if  possible,  to  gain  his  adversaries,  or  at  least 
soften  their  asperities,  Luther  wrote  two  submissive  letters,  one 
to  Henry  VIII.  King  of  England,  and  the  other,  to  George, 
duke  of  Saxony,  but  they  both  replied  with  virulence  ;  where- 
upon Luther  laid  down  these  regulations  for  his  future  conduct, 
*'  1st.  In  all  matters  where  the  ministry  of  the  word  of  God, 
was  not  concerned,  he  would  not  only  submit  to  his  superiors, 
but  was  ready  to  beg  pardon  even  of  children.  As  a  private 
man,  he  merited  nothing  but  eternal  destruction  at  the  divine 
tribunal.  But  2dly.  In  regard  to  the  ministry  for  which  he  con- 
sidered himself  as  having  a  commission  from  heaven,  there  was 
so  much  dignity  in  it,  that  no  man,  especially  a  tyrant,  should 
ever  find  him  give  way,  submit  or  flatter.  Lastly,  he  besought 
his  heavenly  Father  to  enable  him  to  keep  his  resolution." 

Luther  was  both  a  musician,  and  a  poet ;  and  he  circulated  a 
small  volume  of  hymns,  containing  the  main  points  of  Christian 
doctrine,  set  to  music  j  which  had  great  effects 


Chap.  12,.  trotestants.  239 

'  An  attempt  was  made  by  a  Polish  Jew,  to  poison  him,  but. 
through  the  kind  care  of  an  overruling  Providence,  it  entirely 
failed. 

For  a  long  time,  Luther  was  engaged  in  a  contest  with  Eras- 
mus. The  Papists  had  been  severely  lashed  by  him,  but  viewing 
him  as  still  on  their  side,  and  the  most  able  critic  in  Europe,  both 
the  Pope  and  the  King  of  England  importuned  him  to  attack 
the  German  Reformer.  Flattered  by  the  great,  Erasmus  be- 
came the  opponent  of  Luther,  on  the  doctrines  of  grace  ;  and  the 
breach  between  them  was  very  wide. 

But  the  controversy  with  Zuinglius  and  Carolstadt,  on  the  Sa- 
^iramcnt,  which  raged  with  considerable  violence  in  1526-27, 
was  far  more  lamentable. 

In  the  favourable  period  that  succeeded  the  diet  of  Spire,  the 
great  reformer  was  very  active,  in  company  with  his  fellow- 
labourers,  in  fixing  the  great  principles  of  the  reformation  ;  cor- 
recting abuses  ;  inspiring  the  timid  with  fortitude  ;  and  extend- 
ing far  and  wide  the  light  of  truth,  the  knowledge  of  salvation 
through  faith  in  Christ. 

But  this  period  was  to  have  a  termination.  The  councils  of 
princes  change.  The  Emperor  and  the  Pope  became  friends. 
The  commotions  and  troubles  of  Europe  were  teraiinated  ;  and 
jthe  Emperor  had  leisure,  and  alas  !  the  disposition  also  to  lay  a 
heavy  hand  upon  the  reformers.  He  assembled  another  diet  at 
Spire,  in  1529;  and  caused  the  former  decree  to  be  repealed;, 
and  every  change  in  the  doctrine,  discipline  or  worship  of  the 
established  religion,  before  the  determination  of  the  general 
council  should  be  known,  to  be  declared  unlawful. 

Such  a  proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  Emperor  and  his  diet, 
was  viewed  by  the  Protestants  as  iniquitous  and  intolerable,  and 
designed,  if  not  to  crush  the  infant  churches,  at  least,  to  prevent 
their  increase  ;  and  the  elector  of  Saxony,  the  marquis  of 
Brandenburgh,  the  landgrave  of  Hesse,  the  dukes  of  Lunen- 
burgh,  the  prince  of  Anhalt,  with  the  deputies  of  fourteen 
Imperial  or  free  cities,  solemnly  protested  against  it,  on  the 
1 1 9th  of  April,  as  unjust  and  impious.  On  this  account  they 
were,  and  from  that  time  to  this,  their  followers  have  been  de- 
nominated Protestants. 

The  legates  who  had  the  boldness  to  present  this  protest  to 

Ciiarles,  were  put  under  arrest.     A  dark  cloud  seemed  to  hang 

over   the  affairs  of  the  Protestants.     The  Emperor  and  Pope, 

I,  had  many  interviews  at  Bologna,  to  devise  measures  for  the  ex- 

!  tirpation  of  heresy.     Fortunately,  Charles  was  not  disposed  to 

I  accede  to  the  violent  proceedings  of  the  Pope.     He  hoped  tp 


24.0  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD  IIL 

reconcile  the  Protestants  by  means  of  a  general  council.  But 
the  Pope  dreaded  such  an  assembly.  General  councils  the 
Pope  found  factious,  ungovernable,  presumptuous  and  promoters 
of  free  inquiry,  and  civil  liberty.  Charles  therefore,  could  not 
move  him,  and  he  proceeded  to  Augsburg  June  1530,  to  the 
general  diet,  resolved  there  to  bring,  if  possible,  all  disputes  to  a 
termination.  But  as  he  could  not  examine,  and  decide  without 
knowing  the  exact  sentiments  of  the  Protestants,  Charles  re- 
quired Luther  to  commit  to  writing,  the  chief  points  of  his  reli- 
gious system.  Luther  presented  17  articles  of  faith,  formerly 
agreed  upon  at  Torgaw,  wliich  were  called  the  articles  of  Torgaw. 
These  at  the  request  of  the  princes  assembled  at  Augsburg, 
were  enlarged  by  Melanchton,  a  man  of  the  greatest  learning,  and 
most  pacific  spirit  among  the  reformers.  The  creed  thus  com- 
pleted, formed  the  famous  confession  of  Augsburg. 

This  confession  did  great  honour  to  the  pen  of  Melanchton. 
ft  contained  28  chapters,  and  was  a  fair  expose  of  the  religious 
opinions  of  the  protestants,  and  of  the  errors  and  abuses  of  the 
churcli  of  Rome.     It  was  read  publicly  in  the  diet. 

Another  confession  was  presented  to  the  diet,  by  those  who 
adopted  the  opinions  of  ZuingUus,  in  relation  to  the  eucharist. 

But  a  decree  was  passed  against  the  Lutherans,  more  violent 
than  that  of  the  diet  of  Worms.  It  condemned  their  tenets,  for- 
bade any  person  to  protect  or  tolerate  such  as  taught  them,  en- 
joined a  strict  observance  of  establislied  rites,  and  prohibited  any 
further  innovation,  under  severe  penalties.  All  ordei-s  of  men 
were  required  to  assist  in  carrying  this  decree  into  execution. 

This  oppressed  the  feeble  spirit  of  Melanchton,  and  threw 
him  into  a  state  of  deep  melancholy.  But  Luther  was  never 
dismayed  ;  and  he  exhorted  the  Protestant  princes,  with  great 
boldness,  to  unite  in  defence  of  the  truths  which  God  had  re- 
vealed. His  counsels  were  obeyed,  and  they  assembled  at 
Smalkalde  December  16th,  15-30,  and  formed  a  league  of  mutual 
defence  against  all  aggressors,  and  resolved  to  apply  for  protec- 
tion to  the  kings  of  France,  England  and  Denmark. 

These  kings,  from  enmity  to  Charles  V.  favored  the  Pro- 
testants, and  Charles  finding  trouble  accumulating  upon  him, 
concluded  a  peace  with  the  Protestants  in  1532,  at  Nuremberg, 
which  amounted  almost  to  a  complete  toleration  of  their  religion. 
This  event  inspired  the  friends  of  the  reformation  throughout 
Europe,  with  new  vigour  and  resolution,  and  excited  them  to 
press  forward,  with  great  boldness,  in  the  work  of  liberating 
mankind  from  spiritual  despotism. 


Chap.  12.  anabaptists.  241 

But  it  is  an  evil,  with  which  the  reformeirS  had  to  contend, 
that  the  human  mind  once  roused  by  grand  objects,  especially  if 
uninformed,  is  apt  to  become  wild  and  irregular.  Tlie  peasants 
who,  at  the  beginning  of  the  reformation,  had  run  into  such  ex- 
travagances for  religious  liberty,  were  indeed  subdued  ;  but  their 
spirit  hved  and  raged  tremendously  in  1533,  in  Westphalia  and 
the  Netherlands.  A  furious  rabble  came  to  the  city  of  Munster, 
pretending  to  a  commission  from  heaven  to  destroy  and  over- 
turn all  civil  institutions,  and  to  establisli  a  new  republic,  and 
committed  the  most  horrible  excesses.  Their  principal  leaders 
were  John  Mathias,  a  baker,  and  John  Boccold,  a  journeyman 
tailor.  Their  chief  tenets  were,  that  the  office  of  magistracy 
is  unnecessary ;  that  all  distinctions  among  men  are  c outran 
to  the  Gospel ;  that  property  should  be  held  in  conmion,  and 
that  a  plurahty  of  wives  is  commendable.  But  their  more 
peculiar  doctrine,  from  which  they  were  named,  related  to  the 
sacrament  of  baptism.  They  declared  that  it  should  be  adminis- 
tered only  to  persons  grown  up  to  years  of  understanding;  and 
should  be  performed  not  by  sprinkling  with  Wate^^  but  by  im- 
mersion. Hence,  as  the  subjects  had  been  once  baptized,  they 
were  called  Anabaptists. 

But  their  reign  at  Munster  was  short.     The  bishop  of  Munster, 
assisted  by  some  German  princes,  came  against  them  with  an 
armed  force.     Iji   the  conflict,  J^Iathias  was  at  first  successful : 
and  so  elated  was  he,  that  he  sallied  forth  with  thirty  men,  declar- 
ing that  he  would  go  like  Gideon,  and  smite  the  host  of  the  un- 
godly.    In  an  instant,  they  were  all  destroyed.     Boccold  then 
assumed  the  chief  command  ;  pretended  to  extraordinary  reve- 
lations ;   marched  tlirough  the  streets  naked,  crying  with  a  loud 
voice,  '  That  the  kingdom  of  Zion  was  at  hand  ;'  took  to  hiniselt 
fourteen  wives  ;  levelled  to  the  ground  the  loftiest  buildings  ;  de- 
posed senators,  and  raised  his  officers  from  the  lowest  ranks. 
The  blood  of  suspected  persons  flovv^ed  freely.    One  of  his  wives, 
:  expressing  a  doubt  of  his  divine  mission,  had  her  head  cut  oft" 
1  with  his  own  hands.     But  he  was  not  able  to  maintain  his  domi- 
I  nion.     On  the  24th  of  June,   1535,  the  royal  forces  took  the 
*  city,  and  slew  most  of  the  fanatics.     Buccold  was  taken  prison- 
i  or,  and  shown  through  the  cities  of  Germany.     lie  was  then 
!l  brought  back  to  Munster,  and  put  to  death  in  the  most  cruel 
{  manner.     Thus  ended  the  king<iom  of  tjie  Anabaptists  in  Ger- 
i  many  ;  but  their  principles  relatmg  to  baptism  took  deep  root  in 
\  the  Low  Countries,  and  were  carried  into  England. 
it      These  scenes  were  deeply  painful  to  Lutlier.     '•  Satan,"  says 
i  he,  ''  rages  :  we  Jiave  need  of  vour  pravcrs.     The  new  s.ectariHus 

SI 


242  EEFORMATION  PeRIOD  IIL 

called  Anabaptists,  increase  in  number,  and  display  great  exter- 
nal appearances  of  strictness  of  life,  as  also  great  boldness  in 
death,  whether  they  suffer  by  fire  or  water."  While  he  detested 
their  turbulence  and  pitied  their  delusion,  he  knew  that  the  Pa- 
pists looked  upon  them  as  his  followers,  and  upon  him  as  the 
grand  culprit ;  and  that  such  proceedings,  such  cries,  as  "  No  tri- 
bute, all  things  in  common,  no  magistrates,"  must  alarm  every 
ruler  in  Christendom,  and  make  them  consider  the  extinction  of 
Lutheranism  as  essential  to  their  safety.  Luther  was  no  fana- 
tic. He  had  an  enlightened  and  noble  spirit.  '<  We  differ,"  said 
he,  "  from  these  fanatics  not  merely  in  the  article  of  baptism, 
but  also  in  the  general  reason  which  they  give  for  rejecting  the 
baptism  of  infants.  'It  was,'  say  they-,  'a  practice  under  the 
Papacy.'  Now  we  do  not  argue  in  that  manner.  We  allow  that 
in  the  Papacy  are  many  good  things,  and  all  those  good  things 
we  have  retained." 

He  abhorred  persecution  for  religious  opinions.  He  did  not 
believe  that  errors  in  doctrine  were  to  be  extirpated  by  fire  and 
the  sword,  but  by  the  word  of  God.  He  viewed  it  right  that 
false  teachers  should  be  removed  from  their  stations  ;  but  de- 
clared that  capital  punishments  should  never  be  inflicted,  but  for 
sedition  and  tumult.  He  utterly  disapproved,  therefore,  of  the 
sanguinary  proceedings  against  the  Anabaptists,  and  wished  that 
they  might  be  reclaimed  and  guided  by  arguments  from 
Scripture. 

Another  class  of  men  arose  about  the  same  time,  headed  by 
.Tohn  Agricola,  a  disciple  of  Luther,  who,  because  of  their  pecu- 
liar sentiments,  have  been  called  ANTiNOMiArss.  Some  of  their 
pecuharities  were,  that  the  law  ought  not  to  he  proposed  as  a 
I'ule  of  hfe  ;  that  men  ought  not  to  doubt  of  their  fiiith  ;  that  God 
sees  no  sin  in  believers,  and  they  are  not  bound  to  confess  sin, 
mourn  for  it,  or  pray  that  it  may  be  forgiven  ;  tliat  Christ  be- 
came as  sinful  as  we,  and  we  are  as  completely  righteous  as  Christ ; 
that  the  new  covenant  is  not  properly  made  with  us,  but  with 
Christ  for  us  ;  and  that  sanctification  is  not  a  proper  evidence 
of  justification. 

But  while  Luther  was  disquieted  with  these  things,  a  n:iost  sur- 
prising and  important  event  occurred,  which  filled  his  heart  with 
joy.     This  was  the  overthrow  of  the  Papal  power  in  England. 

Henry  VHL,  a  prince  of  great  abilities  and  violent  passions, 
had  come  out,  at  the  beginning  of  the  reformation,  in  opposition 
to  Luther,  and  obtained  from  the  Pope  the  title  of  Defender  of 
the  Faith.  But,  like  all  wicked  men,  he  cared  more  about  the 
Sfratification  of  his  passions  than  for  the  Church  of  God.     He  wa^^ 


Chap.  12.  in  England.  243- 

l|  bound  in  marriage  to  liis  brother's  widow,  Catharine  of  Arragon, 
aunt  to  Charles  V.     She  was  a  woman  of  but  httle  loveliness, 
;;  and  by  her  he  had  no  male  issue.     Desirous  of  this,  and  being 
i  captivated  by  the  charms  of  Ann  Boleyn,  he  applied  to  the  popo 
i  for  a  divorce,  on  the  ground  that  Catharine  was  his  brother'^ 
widow.     The  pope,  dreading  the  anger  of  Charles,  contrived  va- 
rious pretexts  to  delay  an  answer  to  the  request,  and  at  length 
summoned  Henry  to  Rome.     Impatient  of  delay,  and  enraged  at- 
this  final  summons,  Henry  followed  the  advice  of  Thomas  Cran- 
mer,  a  secret  friend  of  Luther,  and  reterred  the  subject  to  the 
learned  univei-sities  of  Europe.     They  decided  that  the  marriage 
was  unlawful.     Catharine  was  divorced,  and  Ann  Boleyn  be- 
came queen,  Nov.  14,  1532. 

Heniy  was  now  completely  ahenated  from  the  pope,  and  was 
determined  to  make  the  court  of  Rome  feel  the  weight  of  his 
anger.  He  caused  himself  to  be  declared  supreme  head  of  the 
church  of  England  ;  suppressed  the  monasteries  :  applied  their 
revenues  to  new  purposes  ;  and  entirely  overturned  the  power 
and  authority  of  the  pope  in  his  realm. 

Thus  was  the  reformation  effected  in  England,  for  the  gratifi- 
cation of  the  passions  of  a  wicked  monarch.  But  it  was  a  very 
dilflferent  reformation  from  that  in  Germany.  That  was  a  refor- 
mation in  doctrine.  This  was  a  transfer  of  supreme  power  from 
the  pope  to  the  king.  Most  of  the  monstrous  corruptions  of 
popery  still  remained,  and  occasioned  for  many  years  much  trou- 
ble to  the  friends  of  true  rehgion. 

Tha  eyes  of  all  Europe  had  long  been  turned  to  a  general 
council,  as  the  only  instrument  of  effecting  religious  peace  on 
the  continent ;  and  the  emperor  pressed  the  Roman  pontiff  to 
convene  one.  Clement  at  length  named  Mantua  as  the  place 
for  it,  but  the  Germans  refused  to  have  their  disputes  decided  in 
Italy. 

In  1341,  Charles  V.  appointed  a  conference  at  Worms,  be- 
tween Eckius,  Gropper,  and  Pflug,  on  the  part  of  the  Catholics  : 
and  Melanchton,  Bucer,  and  Pistorius  on  the  part  of  the  Pro- 
testants. Here  Melanchton  and  Eckius  disputed  for  three  days, 
but  it  was  all  in  vain. 

In  1545,  the  pope,  with  the  consent  of  the  emperor,  issued 
letters  for  the  convocation  of  a  council  ;  and  Charles  endeavour- 
ed to  persuade  the  Protestants  to  consent  to  its  meeting  at 
Trent.  But  they  were  firm,  and  the  patience  of  the  emperor 
was  exhausted  ;  and,  in  his  anger,  he  determined  to  resort  to 
arms.  The  Protestants  inmiediately  took  measures  for  defence. 
But  while  they  were  standing  in  this  critical  condition,  and  be- 


•  244  REFORMATIOS".  PeRIOD  Hi. 

•fore  the  storm  burst  upon  them,  they  were  deprived  of  the  man 
who  had  been  their  chief  counsellor,  supporter,  and  guide.  Lu- 
ther died  in  peace  at  Isleben,  the  place  of  his  nativity,  Feb.  18, 
1546,  in  the  63d  year  of  his  age. 

This  wonderful  man  was  raised  up  by  Divine  Providence,  and 
endowed  with  suitable  capacities,  to  be  the  instrument  of  the 
greatest  and  most  important  revolution  ever  effected  on  our 
globg.  If  he  had  faults,  he  had  also  natural  and  moral  endow- 
ments possessed  by  no  other  man,  and  which  quahfied  him  to 
withstand  the  whole  power  of  the  papal  dominion.  His  native 
firmness  did  not  forsake  him  in  his  last  hours.  He  conversed 
freely  and  with  fervor  with  his  friends  on  the  happiness  reserved 
'for  good  men  in  a  future  state,  and  fell  asleep.  His  funeral  was 
attended  with  great  pomp.  He  left  several  children,  and  his 
^^osterity  have  been  respectable  in  Germany. 

The  Papists  exhibited  indecent  joy  at  the  news  of  his  decease, 
and  his  friends  were  greatly  dispirited  ;  but  both  parties  soon 
found  that  Luther  was  not  dead.  He  lived  in  the  hearts  of  his 
followers.  He  lived  in  the  doctrines  which  he  taught,  and  which 
were  too  firmly  established  in  Europe  to  be  destroyed. 

A  dark  day,  however,  awaited  the  Protestants.  The  empe- 
ror and  pope  had  mutually  agreed  upon  their  extirpation.  The 
meeting  of  the  council  of  Trent  was  the  signal  for  hostilities. 
This  famous  council  was  convened  in  1546,  and  was  composed 
of  6  cardinals,  32  archbishops,  228  bishops,  and  a  multitude  of 
clergy.  The  Protestant  princes,  in  the  diet  at  Ratisbon,  pro- 
tested against  its  authority.  The  emperor  proscribed  them  at 
once,  and  marched  his  army  against  them.  The  Protestants  de- 
fended themselves  with  great  spirit,  but  were  defeated  in  battle, 
with  much  bloodshed,  near  Muhlberg,  April  24,  1547.  The 
elector  of  Saxony  was  taken  prisoner,  and  the  landgrave  of 
Hesse,  the  other  chief  of  the  Protestant  cause,  was  persuaded  to 
throw  himself  upon  the  mercy  of  Charles. 

The  ruin  of  the  Protestants  seemed  at  hand.  The  em- 
,peror  required  the  Lutherans  to  submit  their  cause  to  the  coun- 
cil of  Trent.  Most  of  them  yielded.  A  plague,  however,  dis- 
persed the  council,  and  nothing  was  done.  The  prospect  of  re- 
assembling it  was  distant,  and  the  emperor  caused  a  form  of 
faith  and  worship  to  be  drawn  up  which  he  imposed  upon  both 
parties.  This  was  called  the  Interim.  But  it  pleased  neither 
.party.  No  sooner  was  it  published  at  Rome,  than  the  indigna- 
tion of  the  ecclesiastics  rose  to  the  greatest  height.  They  call 
od  the  emperor  Uzzah,  as  touching  the  ark.  The  Protestants 
inveighed  against  it  as  containing  the  abominations  of  poperVv 


-Chap.  12.  council  of  trent.  245 

covered  over  with  little  art.  Such  as  refused  to  submit  to  it, 
were  obliged  to  meet  the  arms  of  the  emperor  ;  and  as  their 
number  was  considerable,  his  whole  empire  was  involved  in  the 
greatest  calamities. 

In  1 548,  the  principal  reformers  assembled  at  Leipsic,  to  form 
rules  for  the  regulation  of  their  conduct.  Melanchton,  who  had 
tMken  the  place  of  Luther,  gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that  the  Inte- 
rim might  be  adopted  in  things  that  did  not  relate  to  the  essen- 
tial points  of  religion,  i.  e.  in  things  indifferent.  A  schism  en- 
sued which  nearly  proved  fatal  to  their  cause.  Had  their  op- 
ponents seized  the  opportunity,  they  might  have  overthrown 
them. 

In  1552,  the  council  of  Trent  was  again  assembled.  Many 
of  the  Protestants  attended.  But  every  step  that  was  taken, 
tended  to  the  destruction  of  the  Protestants,  and  the  re-esta- 
blishment of  the  Papacy  in  all  its  terrors.  Before  its  linal 
close  in  1563,  this  famous  council  had  twenty-hve  sessions. 
In  the  view  of  the  Papists,  it  illustrated  and  tixed  the  doc- 
trine of  the  church,  and  restored  the  vigour  of  its  discipline. 
Its  decrees,  with  the  creed  of  pope  Pius  IV.  contain  a  sum- 
mary of  the  doctrines  of  the  Roman  church.  It  widened 
and  rendered  forever  irreparable  the  breach  between  her 
and  the  Protestants.  Among  other  things,  it  determined,  "  that 
the  books  to  which  the  designation  of  apocryphal  are  given,  are 
of  equal  authority  with  those  which  were  received  by  the  Jews 
and  primitive  christians  into  the  sacred  canon  ; — that  the  tradi- 
tions handed  down  from  the  apostolic  age,  and  preserved  in  the 
church,  are  entitled  to  as  much  regard  as  the  doctrines  and  pre- 
cepts which  the  inspired  authors  have  committed  to  writing; — 
that  the  Latin  translation  of  the  scriptures  made  or  revised  by 
St.  Jerome,  and  known  by  the  name  of  the  Vulgate  translation, 
should  be  read  in  churches  and  appealed  to  in  the  schools  as 
authentic  and  canonical."  In  the  name  and  pretended  authori- 
ty of  the  Holy  Ghost,  anathemas  were  denounced  against  all 
who  denied  the  truth  of  these  doctrines. 

The  Protestants,  being  persuaded  that  the  emperor,  under  the 
cloak  ot  zeal  for  religion,  was  labouring  to  destroy  the  liberties  of 
Germany,  Maurice,  elector  of  Saxony,  emboldened  by  a  secret 
alliance  which  he  had  formed  with  the  king  of  France,  and  se- 
veral of  the  German  princes,  fell  suddenly,  with  a  powerful  ar- 
my, upon  the  emperor,  while  he  lay  at  Inspruck,  with  only  an 
handful  of  troops,  and  compelled  him  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace 
with  the  Protestants,  and  to  promise  to  assemble  a  diet  within 
irix  months,  in  which  all  difliculties  should  be  permanently  set- 

21* 


'246  REFORMATION.  PeRIOD    IIL 

tied.  The  diet,  however,  did  not  meet  until  1555.  It  then  as- 
sembled at  Augsburg;  and  there  was  concluded  the  famous 
Peace  of  religion,  which  tirmly  established  the  reformation. 
In  this  it  was  provided,  "  That  the  protestants  who  followed 
the  confession  of  Augsburg,  should  be,  for  the  future,  consider- 
ed as  entirely  exempt  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Roman  pon- 
tiff, and  from  the  authority  and  superintendance  of  the  bishops  ; 
(hat  they  were  left  at  perfect  liberty  to  enact  laws  for  them- 
selves relating'  to  their  religious  sentiments,  discipline  and  wor- 
ship ;  that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  German  empire  should  be 
allowed  to  judge  for  themselves  in  religious  matters,  and  to  join 
themselves  to  that  church,  whose  doctrine  and  worship  they 
thought  the  purest  and  the  most  consonant  to  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity ;  and  that  all  those  who  should  injure  or  persecute  any 
person  under  religious  pretexts,  and,  on  account  of  their  opin- 
ions, should  be  declared  and  proceeded  against  as  pubhc  ene- 
mies of  the  empire,  invaders  of  its  liberty,  and  disturbers  of  its 
peace." 

Through  the  bold  and  unremitted  efforts  of  Zuinglius  arid 
others,  the  doctrines  of  the  reformation  had  gained  firm  footing  in 
Switzerland.  Zuinglius  was  a  man  of  genius.  He  revolted 
from  Rome  before  he  had  any  intercourse  with  Luther  ;  but 
would  never  probably  have  dared  to  attack  the  Pope  as  Luther 
did;  or,  \  he  had,  have  done  it  as  effectually.  The  Papists 
early  saw  his  greatness,  and  endeavoured  to  bribe  him  with 
gold.  He  differed  from  Luther  on  many  points,  and  his  follow- 
ers were  called  Sacramentarians. 

In  1525,  he  was  attacked  by  the  Anabaptists.  They  declar- 
♦ul  him,  as  they  had  Luther,  to  be  wanting  in  spirituality  ;  call- 
ed him  the  old  dragon  ;  rebaptized  the  people  in  the  streets,  and 
made  rebaptization  the  criterion  of  the  visible  members  of  the 
church  of  Christ.  Zuinglius  confuted  them  with  arguments  in 
a  public  conference  ;  but  they  became  furious,  and  ran  through 
the  streets  and  cried,  "  Wo  to  Zurich!  Wo  to  Zurich  !  Re- 
pent or  perish  :■'  and  seemed  desirous  to  seal  their  doctrine 
with  their  blood.  Finding  them  excessively  riotous,  the  senate 
made  their  profession  capital,  and  one  or  two  suffered  death. 

The  cantons  of  Berne  and  Zurich  had  publicly  avowed  the 
reformation.  But  the  other  five  cantons  declared  in  favour  of 
Rome,  and  war  ensued.  Zuinglius  was  slain  in  battle  1529, 
.iged  47.  Some  Catholic  soldiers  found  him  in  his  blood,  di- 
rected him  to  pray  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  offered  to  bring  him 
;)  i-onfessor.     But  he  made  a  sii^"n  of  refusal.     '•  Die,  then,  ob- 


Chap.  12.  c^ALva'.  247 

stinate  heretic!"  said  they,  and  pierced  him  through  with  a 
sword.     His  remains  were  found  and  burned  by  the  Catholics." 

Another  distinguished  luminary  soon  arose,  shedding  divine 
light  on  the  Swiss  churches  This  was  John  Calvin.  He  was 
born  at  Noyon,  in  Picardy,  July  10,  1509.  He  was  educated  at 
Paris,  for  the  church,  and  obtained  a  benefice.  But,  disgusted 
with  the  superstitions  of  Rome,  he  turned  to  the  profession  of 
the  law,  in  which  he  made  rapid  advances.  Becoming,  howe- 
ver, acquainted  with  the  doctrines  of  the  reformation,  he  appli- 
ed himself  to  the  st<u1y  of  the  holy  scriptures,  and  resolved 
to  renounce  connexion  with  Rome,  and  defend  the  truth.  In 
private  assemblies  in  Paris,  he  became  active  in  illustrating  and 
confirming  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  and  came  near  falling  a 
sacrifice  to  the  inquisition.  The  queen  of  Navarre  protected 
him,  and  he  escaped  to  Basil.  There,  in  1535,  he  published 
his  great  work,  "  Institutes  of  the  Christian  religion,"  which  he 
dedicated  to  Francis  I.  His  object  was  to  show,  that  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Reformers  were  founded  in  scripture,  and  that  they 
ought  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Anabaptists  of  Germany. 

After  publishing  this  work,  he  happened  to  pass  through  Ge- 
neva, where  the  reformers,  Farel  and  Viret,  entreated  him,  bv 
the  love  of  souls,  to  remain  with  them,  and  aid  in  their  labours, 
Calvin  yielded  ;  and,  in  153G,  became  their  preacher  and  profes- 
sor of  theology.  But  the  Genevese,  though  reformed  in  name- 
were  not  in  lite.  The  severity  of  his  doctrine  and  discipline  rais- 
ed against  him  a  spirit  of  persecution,  and  he  and  his  companions 
were  expelled  from  the  city.  "  Had  I  been,"  said  he,  "  in  the 
service  of  men,  this  would  have  been  a  poor  reward ;  but  it  is 
well.  I  have  served  him  who  never  fails  to  repay  his  servants, 
whatever  he  has  promised." 

Calvin  retired  to  Strasburg,  where  he  established  a  Frencli 
reformed  church,  and  became  professor  of  theology. 

After  two  years,  the  Genevese  earnestly  desired  his  return, 
to  which,  after  much  solicitation,  lie  consented,  September  13. 
1541.  He  immediately  established  a  consistori;-;!  government, 
with  power  to  take  cognizance  of  all  offences,  and  entered  him- 
self on  a  most  arduous  course  of  hibours.  Here  he  continued 
in  the  theological  chair,  until  1564,  when  he  calmly  slept  in 
Jesus. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  mental  powers,  indefatigable  industry, 
flowing  eloquence,  immense  learning,  strict  morals,  and  ardent 
piety.  Besides  his  Institutes,  he  published  a  valuable  comment- 
ary on  mo.st  of  the  sacred  scriptures  ;  composed  many  works  in 
favour  of  the  reformation  ;  carried  on  an  extensive  correspond- 


248  REFORMATION.  pERIOD    111, 

ence  with  all  the  great  reformers  of  Europe,  and  exercised  a 
watchful  care  over  the  Protestant  churches,  by  which  he  was 
reverenced  as  an  oracle.  His  writings  were  printed  in  twelve 
volumes,  folio. 

The  terrors  of  the  inquisition,  compelled  the  nobility  of  the 
Belgic  provinces  in  1566,  to  form  an  association  for  the  purpose 
of  gaining  some  religious  liberty.  To  quell  their  tumults,  a 
powerful  army  was  sent  from  Spain,  under  command  of  the 
duke  of  Alva.  A  bloody  war  ensued  ;  and,  under  the  heroic 
conduct  of  the  prince  of  Orange  both  the  Spanish  and  Roman 
yoke  were  cast  off,  and  the  reformation  w^as  completely  estab- 
Ushed  upon  the  German  model,  in  1578. 

A  few  Scotch  nobles  early  conveyed  the  light  of  divine  truth 
from  Germany,  into  their  own  country  ;  but  the  power  of  the 
Papacy  prevented  its  spread.  Two  distinguished  preachers. 
Patrick  Hamilton  and  George  Wishart  were  burnt  alive,  for  op- 
posing her  corruptions.  Providence  however,  raised  up  John 
Knox,  a  man  of  astonishing  boldness  and  zeal,  who  broke  down 
every  barrier,  and  gave  truth  free  course.  This  great  reformer, 
was  born  in  1505.  The  writings  of  Jerome  and  Austin-  opened 
his  mind  to  the  abominations  of  popery,  and  led  him  to  preacli 
boldly  at  St.  Andrews.  From  the  arm  of  persecution,  he  re- 
tired into  England,  and  became  chaplain  to  Edward  VI.  At  the 
accession  of  queen  Mary,  he  went  to  the  continent,  and  as- 
sociated freely  with  Calvin.  His  enemies  at  home,  accused  him 
of  heresy,  and  burnt  him  in  effigy  at  Edinburgh,  which  drev; 
from  him  his  ^<  First  blast  of  the  Trumpet,  against  the  monstrous- 
regiment  of  women,"  meaning  the  queens  of  England  and 
Scotland.  In  1559,  he  returned  to  r'cotland  ;  and  in  a  very 
short  time,  by  the  power  of  truth,  completely  overturned  the 
Papal  dominion,  and  established  the  Presbyterian  form  oi' 
government.  He  died  November  4th,  1572.  His  funeral  was 
attended  at  Edinburgh,  by  many  nobles,  and  by  Morton  the  re- 
gent, who  exclaimed  over  his  grave,  '  There  lies  he,  who  never 
feared  the  face  of  man.^ 

In  Ireland  the  affairs  of  religion  assumed  much  the  same 
character  as  in  England. 

Throughout  Spain  and  Italy,  great  numbers  of  all  ranks  and 
orders  became  dissatisfied  v;ith  Popery,  and  rejoiced  in  the  light 
of  the  reformation.  In  Naples,  great  commotions  were  excited 
by  the  preaching  of  Bernard  Ochino  and  Peter  Martyr.  But  the 
inquisition,  by  racks,  gibbets  and  other  tortures,  prevented  an) 
great  and  lasting  change  in  the  rehgion  of  those  countries. 


Chap.  12,      principles  of  the  reformers.  240 

The  fundamental  principle  of  the  reformers,  was  the  sufficien- 
cy of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  They 
rejected  therefore,  the  authority  of  tradition,  of  popes  and 
councils.  They  believed  that  no  man  is  able  to  make  satisfaction 
for  his  sins,  and  that  the  only  way  of  justification,  is  by  faith 
in  the  blood  of  Christ.  They  rejected,  therefore,  penance,  in- 
dulgences, auricular  confession,  masses,  invocation  of  saints, 
pilgrimages,  monastic  vows,  purgatory  and  other  ways  of  salva^ 
tion,  devised  by  the  church  of  Rome.  They  believed  in  the  doc- 
trine of  the  trinity,  in  man's  entire  depravity,  in  predestination^, 
•in  the  renewing  and  sanctifying  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost: 
and  in  the  eternal  happiness  of  the  righteous,  and  endless  miser}' 
of  the  wicked.  These  were  their  leading  sentiments,  and  havo 
since  been  called  the  doctrines  of  the  reformation. 

In  the  monarchical  governments  of  Europe,  there  was  but 
'little  change  in  the  form  of  church  order  ;  as  the  dioceses  and 
jurisdiction  of  archbishops  and  bishops,  corresponded  with  tho 
civil  divisions  and  ordinances  ;  and  as  the  episcopal  government 
was  calculated  to  uphold  the  regal.  But  in  Switzerland  and  the 
Low  Countries,  where  republicanism  was  established,  and  men 
were  left  to  conform  more  to  the  simplicity  of  the  Gospel,  a  form 
of  government  extremely  simple,  and  preserving  a  parity  of  rank, 
was  generally  adopted.  Knox  saw  its  conformity  to  the  Gospel^ 
and  recommended  it  to  his  countrymen,  by  whom  it  was  received, 
notwithstanding  the  power  and  influence  of  the  reigning 
juonarchy,  and  the  English  church. 

The  blessings  of  the  reformation,  can  be  duly  estimated  only 
by  those  who  have  a  full  view  of  the  evils  of  Popery  as  existing 
4nthe  middle  ages.  By  it  the  world  was  dehvered  from  a  most 
horrible  yoke  of  spiritual  bondage  ;  life  and  immortality,  as  re- 
vealed in  the  Gospel,  were  brought  to  hght,  and  the  way  was 
opened,  that  irx  Jesus  Christ,  all  nations  of  the  eartli  might  bQ 
Ijlessed, 


.250'  MODERN   CHRISTENDOM.  PeRIOD  IIL 


CHAPTER  Xm. 

Modern  Christendom.  Roman  Church.  Her  efforts  for  self- 
preservation. — Order  of  the  Jesuits.  Missionary  operations 
and  establishments  Persecution  of  the  Protestants.  Expul- 
sion of  the  Moors  from  Spain.  Massacre  on  St.  Bai'tholo- 
mew's  day.  Edict  of  Nantez.  Its  revocation.  Inquisition. 
Auto  de  fe.  Doivrfal  of  Popery. — Reverses  in  the  East. 
Disaffections  in  Europe.  Suppression  of  the  Jesuits.  jPrench 
revolution.  Principles  and  rites  of  the  Roman  Church.  Cha- 
racter of  her  Popes  and  Clergy  since  the  Reformation.  Mo- 
nastic orders.     Present  state  of  Popery  in  the  world. 

The  reformation  formed  a  glorious  era  in  the  history  of  the 
Church  and  world.  We  no  longer  find  one  ecclesiastical  power 
reigning  supreme  and  universal.  The  man  of  sin  is  broken., 
Italy,  Spain,  Portugal,  the  Belgic  Provmces  under  the  Spanisl] 
yoke,  remained  Papal.  But  Denmark,  Norway,  Sweden,  Bran- 
denberg,  Prussia,  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  Holland,  had 
become  Protestant  governments,  Germany  was  about  equally 
divided.  In  Switzerland  the  Protestants  had  a  little  the  prepon- 
derance. France  was  often  near  changing  her  religion,  but 
finally  became  decidedly  Papal,  though  she  retained  in  her 
bounds  milhons  of  Protestants. 

Neither  uniformity  of  faith  or  ecclesiastical  government  has 
existed  among  those  who  have  received  the  Scriptures  as  theii 
guide.  On  the  contrary,  a  great  variety  of  religious  sects  h£ 
risen  in  the  reformed  churches.  And  if  some  are  confident  that 
tliey  behold  the  true  church  descending  in  one  to  the  exclusioi 
of  the  rest,  still  the  historian  is  bound  to  trace  the  course  of  all 
who  profess  to  be  followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  These  have 
been  found,  since  the  reformation,  among 

The  Roman  Catholics,  or  adherents  to  the  tope. 
The  Greek  and  Eastern  Churches,  and 
The  Protestant,  or  Reformed  churches. 

The  Roman  Church. 

The  effect  of  the  reformation  upon  the  Roman  pontiflfs,  was  tc 
excite  them  to  the  greatest  eflTorts  to  retain  their  power  and  ex- 
tend their  dominion  in  the  earth.  They  removed  a  few  evils 
which  had  been  most  severely  animadverted  upon  by  the  reform- 
ers, ojid  prosecuted  the  njost  ingenious  methods  to  strengthei' 


Chap.  13.  order  of  the  Jesuits.  251 

the  internal  constitution  of  their  falling  churcli.  Colleges  and 
schools  were  established  that  their  youth  might  be  more  enlight- 
ened ;  and  wield,  with  more  dexterity,  the  weapons  of  contro- 
versy. But  they  prevented  the  circulation  of  all  books  which 
exposed  the  foundation  of  their  superstitions  ;  raised  the  edicts 
of  Pontiffs,  and  the  records  of  oral  tradition,  far  above  the  au- 
thority of  the  Scriptures  ;  proclaimed  the  Vulgate  edition  of  the 
Bible  authentic  ;  forbade  the  use  of  any  other,  or  any  interpreta- 
tion of  Scripture  which  should  differ  from  that  of  the  church  and 
ancient  doctors  ;  and  ordered  the  sacred  volume  to  be  taken  away 
from  the  common  people.*  Finding  their  power  and  resources 
diminished  at  home,  they  grasped  after  the  most  amazing  domin- 
ion among  distant  pagan  nations.  They  sufiered  no  opportu- 
nity, also,  to  pass  unimproved,  by  which  they  might  regain  what 
Luther  and  his  companions  had  so  triumphantly  wrested  from 
them. 

The  two  great  instruments  which  they  employed  to  effect  their 
purposes,  were  the  order  of  the  Jesuits  and  the  Inquisition. 

The  order  of  the  Jesuits  was  founded  in  1540,  by  Ignatius 
Loyola,  a  wild  fanatic.  Before  the  close  of  the  reformation,  the 
ancient  Franciscan  and  Dominican  orders,  had  lost  much  of 
their  influence  and  authority  ;  so  that  the  rise  of  some  new  or- 
der seemed  necessary  to  save  the  sinking  church.  Loyola,  am- 
bitions of  founding  one,  which  should  be  more  potent  than  any 
which  had  existed,  presented  his  plan  to  pope  Paul  V.,  and  de- 
clared it  revealed  from  heaven.  Paul  was  afraid  of  the  esta- 
blishment, and  refused  his  approbation,  until  Ignatius  added  to 
the  three  vows  of  poverty,  chastity,  and  monastic  obedience, 
a  fourth  of  entire  subservience  to  the  pope  ;  binding  the  members 
of  his  order  to  go,  without  reward,  in  the  service  of  religion, 
whithersoever  the  pope  should  direct  them.  This  procured,  at 
once,  the  pope's  sanction,  and  the  most  ample  privileges.  The 
Jesuits  were  estabhshed.  and  in  less  than  half  a  century  filled 
cverv  country  on  the  globe  with  their  order.  In  1608  thev 
mim'bercd  10,581.     In  1710,  19,998. 

Their  tbrm  of  government  was  a  perfect  despotism.  A  gene- 
ral of  the  order  was  appointed  by  the  pope  for  life,  to  whom  re- 
gular reports  were  annually  made  from  every  branch,  and  to 
whom  every  individual  was  perfectly  known  and  entirely  submis- 
sive. Their  discipline  was  altogether  novel.  Other  monks  had 
sought  the  solitude  of  the  cloister  :  practised  rigorous  austerities  : 

■  In  the  French  church  they  were  never  able  to  carry  this  order  info 
oxecution.     There  the  (.'011101011  people  have  ever  had  the  Bible. 


26^  llOMAN  CHURCH.  PeRIOD  llf. 

had  their  peculiar  habit,  and  appeared  dead  to  the  world.  Bui 
the  Jesuits  were  never  known  from  men  of  the  world.  They 
had  no  pecuHar  dress  or  employment.  They  mingled  in  all  the 
active  scenes  of  life  ; — were  physicians,  lawyers,  merchants, 
mathematicians,  musicians,  painters,  artists,  that  they  might  have 
the  easier  access  to  men  of  every  rank  and  condition,  and 
promote  the  purposes  of  the  pope,  without  being  known. 
Every  candidate  for  the  order  was  obliged  to  confess  all  the  se- 
crets of  his  heart,  every  thing  relating  to  his  temper,  passions, 
inclinations  and  life,  to  his  superior ;  and  was  required  to  serve  for 
a  considerable  period,  and  to  pass  through  several  gradations  of 
rank  before  he  could  become  a  professed  member.  Every  Je- 
i^uit  was  compelled  to  act  as  a  spy  upon  the  conduct  of  every 
Other  Jesuit.  The  rules  of  their  order  were  hidden  from  stran- 
gers, and  even  from  the  greater  part  of  their  own  number. 
They  became  instructors  of  youth  in  all  the  schools  of  Europe  ; 
confessors  and  spiritual  guides  to  merchants,  nobles,  and  sove- 
reigns ;  they  mingled  in  every  transaction,  and  gave  laws  to  em- 
pires. They  established  houses  of  trade  in  most  parts  of  the 
world,  and  amassed  vast  treasures.  And  wherever  they  went, 
in  v/hatever  they  were  engaged,  they  w^ere  active  missionaries  of 
the  Romish  faith  ;  actuated  by  an  astonishing  attachment  to  their 
order  and  the  church  of  Rome,  and  a  most  bitter  and  violent 
opposition  to  the  Protestant  rehgion.  They  were,  for  a  long 
period,  the  pest  of  the  world  ;  and  they  were  denounced  by 
one  state  and  another.  But  by  their  superior  knowledge,  soft 
manners,  and  a  morality  which  authorized  the  most  atrocious 
Crimes — treachery^  robbery,  murders,  for  the  promotion  of  a 
good  end,  especially  the  good  of  the  Roman  church,  they  conti- 
nued exceedingly  popular  ;  and  the  pontiffs  found  them  of  such 
eminent  service,  as  to  absolve  them  from  every  crime,  and  pro- 
tect them  from  every  adversary. 

The  first,  and  by  far  the  most  distinguished  of  all  their  mis- 
sionaries, was  Francis  Xavier.  In  1541  he  sailed  to  the  Portu- 
guese settlements  in  India  ;  and,  in  a  short  period,  baptized  se- 
veral thousands  of  the  natives  into  the  Romish  faith.  Meeting 
with  such  success,  he  prepared  to  go  to  China,  and  attempt  the 
conversion  of  that  vast  empire ;  but  was  suddenly  cut  off,  in 
3652,  in  the  46th  year  of  his  age,  and  in  sight  of  his  object. 
Had  Xavier  been  possessed  of  the  true  knowledge  of  the  Gos- 
pel, thousands  might  have  risen  up  and  called  him  blessed.  He 
no  doubt  had  a  true  missionary  spirit,  and  the  best  missionary 
jiabits.     His  labours  v/erc  wonderful. 


Chap.  13.  missionary  efforts.  253 

After  his  death,  Matthew  Ricci  and  a  host  of  Jesuits,  pressed 
into  the  regions  of  Slam,  Tonkin,  Cochii.-China,  and  the  vast 
empire  itself.  Ricci  recommended  himself  to  Jhe  emperor  by 
his  mathematical  knowledge  and  ctbtainc;!  patronage  for  his  re- 
ligion. Converts  were  multiplied,  and  the  Catholic  rehgion  for 
a  season  prevailed  to  a  great  extent.  The  emperor  built  a  mag- 
nificent church  for  the  Jesuits  within  the  imperial  precincts. 
Others  pushed  their  conquests  into  India.  On  the  coast  of  Ma- 
labar, one  missionary  boasted  of  a  thousand  converts  baptized  in 
a  single  year.  Others,  still  more  adventurous,  penetrated  into 
Japan,  where  they  numbered,  at  one  time,  more  than  600  000 
Christians.  In  Abyssinia,  also,  they  acquired  an  astonishing  in- 
fluence, which  was  retained  for  a  season  by  the  tortures  of  the 
inquisition.  But  in  South  America  was  their  greatest  success. 
The  whole  of  that  vast  continent  they  brought  under  the  domin- 
ion of  the  Pope.  In  Paraguay,  where  perhaps  they  did  more 
good  than  any  where  else,  300,000  families  were  said  to  be 
taught  by  them  agriculture  and  the  arts  ;  to  be  civilized  and 
Christiap-ized. 

Their  amazing-  efforts  excited  other  monastic  ordei-s,  the 
jdominicans,  franc'scans  and  capuchins,  who  found  that  they 
'were,  for  their  supineness,  sinking  in  repute,  to  similar  enter- 
prises. They  also  induced  the  Popes,  and  others,  to  institute 
immense  and  splendid  missionary  establishments  in  Europe.  In 
1622  Pope  Gregory  XV.  founded  at  Rome,  the  magnificent  col- 
lege, "  De  propaganda  fide."  Its  object  was  the  propagation  of 
the  Catholic  religion  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  Its  riches 
were  immense,  and  adequate  to  the  greatest  undertakings. 
By  it  a  vast  number  of  youth  were  educated,  and  sent  to  the 
pagan  nations,  feeble  and  worn  out  missionaries  were  supported, 
and  books  were  published  and  dispersed  beyond  number.  Its 
exploits  are  almost  incredible.  In  1627,  another  college  was 
founded  through  the  munificence  of  John  Baptist  vSes,  a 
Spanish  nobleman,  for  the  education  of  missionaries.  And  in 
France  was  established  in  1663,  the  congregation  of  the  priests 
of  foreign  missions,  and  the  Parisian  seminary  for  the  missions 
abroad  ;  all  which,  sent  forth  legions  of  Jesuits  and  friars,  to  all 
j^arts  of  the  globe. 

But  alas !  while  they  put  Protestant  Christians  to  the  blush» 
for  their  backwardness  in  Heathen  missions,  all  their  labours 
were  to  but  little  profit.  Little  or  no  instruction  did  the  mis- 
sionaries ever  give,  relating  to  the  character  and  love  of  God,  to 
sin  and  hohness,  and  the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ. 
Their  great  object  was  to  persuade  the  Heathen,  to  receive  and 


254  ROMAN   CHURCH.  PeRIOD  III. 

practise  the  religious  ceremonies  of  the  church  of  Rome  ;  and 
this  they  did,  to  a  great  extent,  by  a  compromising  plan,  in 
which  they  made  it  appear  that  there  was  no  great  difference 
between  the  Christian  and  Pagan  systems.  They  taught  the 
Chinese  that  the  Christian  religion  came  from  Tien,  the  Chinese 
name  for  God,  and  that  there  \Yas  no  great  difference  between 
the  worship  of  the  saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  the  Chinese 
worship  of  their  ancestors.  Jesus  Christ  and  Confucius,  were 
placed  upon  a  level,  and  their  religions  were  nearly  amalgamated. 
The  Hindoos  were  taught  that  Jesus  Christ  was  a  Brahmin,  and 
that  the  Jesuits  were  Brahmins  sent  from  a  distant  country  to 
reform  them.  The  Capuchin  converts  in  Africa,  were  suffered 
to  retain  the  abominable  superstitions  of  their  ancestors.  In 
South  America  the  profligate  and  the  worthless  characters  of 
the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese,  utterly  forbade  any  good  moral 
influence  from  their  instructions.  Yet  among  such  a  crowd  of 
missionaries,  some  few  hke  Xavier,  may  have  truly  sought  the 
salvation  of  souls,  through  whose  labours  and  prayers,  some 
may  have  been  gathered  into  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour.     If  so,  it  has  given  joy  in  heaven. 

While  the  Roman  church  was  thus  engaged  in  foreign  mis- 
sions, she  was  also  deeply  involved  in  almost  uninterrupted 
cabals  to  crush  the  Protestants  and  regain  her  former  dominion 
in  Europe.  A  few  amicable  conferences  were  first  held  ;  but 
her  genius  rather  led  her  to  violence  and  blood.  She  declared 
that  the  Protestants  in  Germany,  had  forfeited  the  privileges  se- 
cured to  them,  in  the  peace  of  rehgion,  by  departing  from  the 
confession  of  Augsburg  ;  and  through  the  bigotted  house  of 
Austria,  made  war  upon  them  in  1618  ;  overcame,  and  awfully 
oppressed  them.  The  cries  of  the  suffering  affected  every 
heart,  but  that  of  the  bigot  Ferdinand,  who  exclaimed,  "  I  had 
rather  see  the  kingdom  a  desert,  than  damned."  Their  cruel 
oppressions  called  forth  the  interposition  of  the  noble  Gustavus 
of  Sweden.  He  appeared  in  Germany  with  a  small  army  in 
1629,  and  fell  in  the  battle  of  Lutzen  in  1632.  But  his  generals 
persevered ;  till,  worn  out  with  a  thirty  years'  war,  all  parties 
agreed  in  the  treaty  of  Westphaha  in  1648,  in  which  the  Roman 
church  confirmed  anew  to  the  Lutherans  all  their  rights  and 
privileges. 

This  was  the  last  open  war  which  she  made  upon  the  Protes- 
tants ;  but  in  every  other  possible  way,  by  bribes,  by  the  subtil- 
ties  of  controversy,  by  the  axe  and  the  fire,  she  continually  har- 
assed them  in  every  country.  In  Hungary  a  violent  persecution 
raged  for  ten  years.     In  Poland,  all  who  differed  from  the  Pope, 


I  Chap.  13.  st.  Bartholomew's  day.  255 

were  treated  as  the  offscouring  of  the  earth,  for  more  than  a 
century.  The  Waldenses  were  ever  the  object  of  persecution, 
!  and  were  hunted  in  their  dens  and  caves,  and  native  mountains, 
and  put  to  the  most  cruel  deaths.  From  Spain,  a  milhon  of 
Moors  or  Saracens,  descendants  of  the  former  conquerors  of 
the  country,  a  sober,  industrious,  wealthy  people-  nominally 
Christian,  but  strongly  attached  to  Mahomet,  were  banished 
from  the  kingdom  ;  and  the  church  acquired  immense  posses- 
sions. An  almost  equal  number  of  Jews  were  also  driven  out, 
whose  estates  too,  were  confiscated  by  the  holy  church.  The 
eyes  of  many  in  that  hapless  country,  were  opened  upon  the 
truth,  by  their  connexion  with  Germany  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  V.  ;  but  they  were  silenced  by  racks,  gibbets  and  stakes. 
All  the  divines  who  accompanied  Charles  into  his  retirement, 
were  immediately  upon  his  death,  given  over  to  the  inquisition, 
and  committed  to  the  flames  ;  which  gives  reason  to  suppose 
that  he  died  a  Protestant. 

The  Protestants  in  France,  (called  Huguenots,  probably  from 
the  word  Huguon,  a  night  walker  because  like  the  early  Chris- 
tians, they  assembled  privately  in  the  evening  ;  and  who  were 
very  numerous,)  suffered  continual  vexations  from  Francis  I. 
before  the  reformation  was  established  ;  though  they  found  a 
warm  friend  in  the  queen  of  Navarre.  His  successor  Henry 
n.  or  properly  Nero  II.  had  them  tied  to  a  stake  on  the  day  of 
his  inauguration,  and  the  flame  kindled  at  the  moment  he  passed 
by,  that  he  might  see  them  burn.  Parliament  decreed  that  it 
was  lawful  to  kill  them  wherever  they  could  be  found.  Charles 
IX.  as  if  to  signalize  himself  still  more  by  his  ferocity,  resolved 
upon  the  extirpation  of  the  whole  from  his  dominions.  At  this 
time  A.  D.  1571  they  had  2  150  congregations  some  of  which, 
had  not  less  than  10,000  members.  Charles  laid  a  snare  for 
them,  by  offering  his  sister  in  marriage  to  a  Huguenot,  the 
prince  of  Navarre.  All  the  heads  of  the  Huguenots  were  as- 
sembled in  Paris  at  the  nuptials  ;  when  on  the  eve  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew's day,  August  24th  1572,  at  the  ringing  of  a  bell,  the 
dreadful  massacre  commenced.  Charles  and  his  mother  beheld 
it,  with  joy,  from  a  window.  The  monster  himself,  fired  upon 
the  Huguenots,  crying,  kill,  kill !  An  unparalleled  scene  of 
horror  ensued.  The  Catholics,  like  blood  hounds,  rushed  upon 
the  defenceless  Huguenots.  Above  five  hundred  men  of  dis- 
tinction, and  about  ten  thousand  of  inferior  order,  that  night 
slept  in  Paris,  the  sleep  of  death.  A  general  destruction  was 
immediately  ordered  throughout  France  ;  and  a  horrid  carnage 
was  soon  witnessed  at  Rouen,  Lyons,  Orleans  and  other  cities. 


256  ROMAN   CHURCH.  PeRIOD  IIL 

Sixty  thousand  perished,  and  solemn  thanksgivings  were  ren- 
dered to  God  by  the  Catholics,  for  the  triumph,  as  they  called  it, 
of  the  church  militant.  It  was  the  horrid  excess  of  religious 
bigotry — the  awful  triumph  of  the  Man  of  sin. 

As  soon  as  possible,  the  Huguenots,  under  the  prince  o* 
Conde,  stood  in  their  defence,  and  combatted  their  enemies  with 
much  success.  But  the  most  terrible  scenes — murders,  assassi- 
nations, massacres  and  all  the  accompaniments  of  a  religious 
war,  were  continually  witnessed  ; — 39  princes,  148  counts,  234 
barons,  146,518  gentlemen  and  760,000  of  the  common  peo- 
ple were  in  about  thirty  years  destroyed,  for  adopting  the  re- 
formed religion. 

In  1593,  Henry  IV.  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  France.  He 
was  a  Huguenot.  But  not  being  able  to  obtain  the  throne, 
while  he  remained  such,  and  imagining  that  if  he  should,  his 
government  would  have  no  stable  foundation  disconnected  with 
Rome  ;  he  made  a  solemn  profession  of  Popery.  But  he  fol- 
lowed the  feelings  of  his  heart,  in  relation  to  the  Huguenots, 
and,  in  the  year  1 598,  published  the  Edict  of  Nantez,  which 
gave  them  the  rights  and  privileges  of  citizenship,  assured  to 
them  the  liberty  of  worshipping  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  own  consciences,  and  certain  lands  to  support  their 
churches  and  garrisons.  Henry  soon  felt  the  vengeance  of  the 
Papal  arm  ;  for  he  was  assassinated  in  his  chariot,  as  he  passed 
along  the  streets  of  Paris,  by  the  fanatic  Ravillac,  A.  D.  1610. 

Tolerated  by  the  civil  power,  the  Huguenots  for  a  season, 
flourished  greatly.  But  they  were  ever  at  variance  with  the 
government,  and  Cardinal  Richelieu,  prime  minister  of  Lewis 
XIII.  early  adopted  and  long  pursued  this  severe  maxim  ;  '  that 
there  could  be  no  peace  in  France,  until  the  Huguenots  were 
totally  suppressed.'  Every  method  which  had  the  least  appear- 
ance of  consistence  with  the  edict  of  Nantez,  was  used  for 
many  years,  to  carry  it  into  eifect.  The  Huguenots  were  de- 
prived of  their  wealth,  and  strong  holds,  and  civil  privileges — 
were  courted  and  frowned  upon,  and  driven  from  one  extremity 
to  another,  until  at  length,  finding  all  these  measures  ineffectual, 
the  perfidious  and  impolitic  Lewis  XIV.  revoked  the  edict  of 
Nantez,  and  ordered  all  the  reformed  churches  to  embrace  the 
Romish  faith.  Their  case  was  now  hopeless.  Their  churches 
were  razed  to  the  ground.  They  were  insulted  by  a  brutal 
soldiery,  and  massacred  in  crowds.  And  though  soldiers  were 
stationed  on  the  frontiers  to  prevent  their  escape,  yet  above 
fifty  thousand  fled,  and  sought  refi.ige  in  the  various  Protestant 
countries  of  Europe. 


Chap.  13.  inquisition.  257 

Similar  attempts  to  regain  lost  dominion,  are  seen  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  church  of  England.     To  this  day  they  have  not  ceas- 
ed where  any  prospect  of  success  has  been  visible. 

These  various  effort?  were  not  indeed  in  many  countries  un- 
successful. Vast  foreign  countries,  and  a  great  part  of  Europe, 
were  held  in  iron  bondage.  A  queen  of  Sweden,  a  king  of  Po- 
land, a  count  Palatine,  a  dnke  of  Brunswick,  a  marquis  of  Bran- 
denburgh,  and  many  hundreds  who  had  become  protestants, 
were  brought  back  to  the  bosom  of  the  church.  And  what  the 
falling  pontiffs  possessed,  they  retained,  as  far  as  they  dare,  by 
all  the  tortures  of  the  inquisition.  From  France,  this  horrid  tri- 
bunal was  early  effectually  expelled.  (n  Rome,  it  was  lenient, 
lest  it  should  drive  strangers  from  the  city.  But  in  Spain,  Por- 
tugal, and  in  Goa,  it  was  ;»  horrid  power.  In  the  united  king- 
doms of  Castile  and  Arragon  were,  at  one  time,  eighteen  in- 
quisitorial courts,  having  each  its  apostolical  inquisitors,  secre- 
taries, sergeants.  &c.,  and  twenty  thousand  familiars,  or  spies 
and  informers,  dispersed  through  the  kingdom.  Persons  sus- 
pected of  the  slightest  opposition  to  the  Catholic  church  were 
demanded  at  midnight  by  the  watch  of  the  inquisition,  dragged 
before  the  tribunal,  put  to  the  torture,  condemned  on  the  slight- 
est evidence,  shut  up  for  life  in  dungeons,  or  strangled  and 
burnt  to  death.  No  husband,  wife,  or  parent,  dared  refuse  to 
give  up  the  nearest  relative.  Wealth  in  a  nobleman,  and  beau- 
ty in  a  female,  were  sure  to  attract  the  cupidity  of  these  horri- 
ble harpies.     Their  friends  might  never  inquire  into  their  fate. 

The  Auto  de  fe,  or  act  of  faith,  has  exhibited  the  most  shock- 
ing barbarities  of  civilized  man.  On  a  stage  erected  in  the  pub- 
lic market  place  in  Madrid,  the  unhappy  victims,  having  been 
put  to  the  torture  by  infernal  monks,  have  been  tied  to  the  stake 
and  burned  gradually  to  death.  The  kings  of  Spain  have  sat 
uncovered,  lower  than  the  inquisitors,  and  witnessed  with  ap- 
probation the  awful  spectacle. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  an  Auto  de  Fe,  performed  at 
Madrid,  as  related  by  Hooke. 

"  The  officers  of  the  inquisition,  preceded  by  trumpets,  ket- 
tle-drums, and  their  banner,  marched  on  the  30th  of  the  month 
called  May,  in  cavalcade,  to  the  place  of  the  great  square,  where 
they  declared  by  proclamation,  that  on  the  30th  of  the  month 
called  June,  the  sentence  of  the  prisoners  would  be  put  in  exe- 
cution. 

"  There  had  not  been  a  spectacle  of  this  kind  at  Madrid  for 
several  years  before,  for  which  reason  it  was  expected,  by  the 

22* 


258  iieMAN  CHURCH.  Period  Ilf. 

inhabitants,  with  as  much  impatience  as  a  day  of  the  greatest 
festivity. 

*'  On  the  day  appointed,  a  prodigious  number  of  people  ap- 
peared, dressed  as  splendidly  as  their  respective  circumstances 
would  admit.  In  the  great  square,  was  raised  a  high  scaffold; 
and  thither,  from  seven  in  the  morning  till  the  evening,  were 
brought  criminals  of  both  sexes  :  all  the  inquisitions  in  the  king- ' 
dom  sending  their  prisoners  to  Madrid. 

*'  Of  these  prisoners,  twenty  men  and  women,  with  one  rene-. 
gado  Mahometan,  were  ordered  TO  BE  BURNED ;  fifty  Jews 
and  Jewesses,  having  never  before  been  imprisoned,  and  repent- 
ing of  their  crimes,  were  sentenced  to  a  long  confinement,  and 
to  wear  yellow  caps  ;  and  ten  others  indicted  for  bigamy,  witch- 
craft, and  other  crimes,  were  sentenced  to  be  whipped,  and  then 
sent  to  the  galleys ;  these  last  wore  large  pasteboard  caps,  with 
inscriptions  on  them,  having  a  halter  about  their  necks,  and 
torches  in  their  hands. 

"  The  whole  court  of  Spain  was  present  on  this  occasion. 
The  grand  inquisitor's  chair  was  placed  in  a  sort  of  tribunal,  far 
above  that  of  the  king.  The  nobles  here  acted  the  part  of  the 
sheriff's  officers  in  England,  leading  such  criminals  as  were  to  be 
burned,  and  holding  them  when  fast  bound  with  thick  cords. 
The  rest  of  the  criminals  were  conducted  by  the  familiars  of 
the  inquisition. 

"  Among  those  who  were  to  suffer,  was  a  young  Jewess,  of 
exquisite  beauty,  and  but  seventeen  years  of  age.  Being  on  the 
same  side  of  the  scaffold  where  the  queen  was  seated,  she  ad- 
dressed her,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  a  pardon,  in  the  following  pa- 
thetic speech:  "Great  queen!  will  not  your  royal  presence  be 
of  some  service  to  me,  in  my  miserable  condition  ?  Have  regard 
to  my  youth  ;  and  oh!  consider  that  I  am  about  to  die  for  pro- 
fessing a  religion  imbibed  from  my  earhest  infancy  I"  Her  ma- 
jesty seemed  greatly  to  pity  her  distress,  but  turned  away  her 
eyes,  as  she  did  not  dare  to  speak  a  word  in  behalf  of  a  person 
who  had  been  declared  a  heretic. 

*'  Now,  mass  began,  in  the  midst  of  which,  the  priest  came 
from  the  altar,  placed  near  the  scaffold,  and  seated  himself  in  a 
chair  prepared  for  that  purpose. 

"  The  chief  inquisitor  then  descended  from  the  amphithea- 
tre, dressed  in  his  cope,  and  having  a  mitre  on  his  head.  After 
bowing  to  the  altar,  he  advanced  towards  the  king's  balcony, 
and  went  up  to  it,  attended  by  some  of  his  officers,  carrying  a 
cross  and  the  gospels,  with  a  book  containing  the  oath  by  which 
the  kings  of  Spain  oblige  themselves  to  protect  the  Catholic 


Chap.  13.  inquisition.  259 

faith,  to  extirpate  heretics,  and  to  support,  with  all  their  power, 
the  prosecutions  and  decrees  of  the  inquisition. 

"  On  the  inquisitor's  approach,  and  presenting  this  book  to 
the  king,  his  majesty  ro«e  up,  bareheaded,  and  swore  to  main- 
tain the  oath,  which  was  read  to  him  by  one  of  his  counsellors  : 
after  which,  the  king  continued  standing  till  the  inquisitor  was 
returned  to  his  place  ;  when  the  secretary  of  the  holy  office 
mounted  a  sort  of  pulpit,  and  administered  the  hke  oath  to  the 
counsellors  and  the  whole  assembly.  Proclamation  of  the  sen- 
tences of  the  several  criminals  were  then  separately  rehearsed 
aloud  one  after  the  other. 

"  After  this  followed  the  burning  of  the  twenty-one  men  and 
women,  whose  intrepidity  in  sufifering  that  horrid  death,  was 
truly  astonishing.  Some  thrust  their  hands  and  feet  into  the 
flames  with  the  most  dauntless  fortitude;  and  all  of  them  yield- 
ed to  their  fate  with  such  resolution,  that  many  of  the  amazed 
spectators  lamented  that  such  heroic  souls  had  not  been  more 
enlightened. 

"  The  king's  near  situation  to  the  criminals,  rendered  their 
dying  groans  very  audible  to  him.  He  could  not,  however,  be 
absent  from  this  dreadful  scene,  as  it  is  esteemed  a  religious  one; 
and  his  coronation  oath  obliges  him  to  give  a  sanction  by  his 
presence  to  all  the  acts  of  the  tribunal." 

This  horrid  tribunal  has  almost  destroyed  that  beautiful  king- 
dom. All  the  fountains  of  social  happiness  have  been  broken 
up.  The  father  has  stood  in  fear  of  his  own  child.  The  sister 
of  her  brother.  Both  Spain  and  Portugal  are  sunk  by  it,  in  the 
grossest  ignorance,  and  deepest  wretchedness.* 

But  though  the  Papal  power  numbered  vastly  more  souls  under 
its  dominion  after  the  reformation,  than  it  did  before,  and  seemed 
at  one  time  to  be  more  formidable  than  ever,  yet  through  a 
series  of  unexpected  events,  it  has  on  all  sides  been  weakened 
until  its  ancient  power,  wealth  and  splendour  have  entirely 
passed  away. 

*  Between  the  years  1452  and  1808,  the  whole  number  of  victims  to. 
the  inquisition  on  the  peninsula,  was  as  follows. 

Burnt,  31,718 

Died  before  execution,  or  escaped,     17,511 
Punished  by  whipping,  imprison- 
ment, &;c.  287,522 


Total  336,751 

More  than  1500  were  burnt  during  the  last  century,  but  none  after  the 
year  1783.  Besides  these,  an  incredible  number  suffered  in  the  Spanish 
possessions  in  America,  Italy,  Flanders,  Goa  &c. 


260  ROMAN    CHURCH.  PeRIOD  III, 

Its  richest  foreign  conquests  were  soon  lost.  For  failing  in 
any  good  influence  over  the  heart  and  conscience — and  guilty 
themselves  of  fraudulent  practices,  and  abominable  dissoluteness, 
and  often  deeply  immersed  in  civil  and  military  affairs,  exciting 
seditions  and  tumults,  its  emissaries  rather  provoked  a  revolt 
than  otherwise.  In  China  the  Jesuits  and  Dominicans  quarreled 
violently.  Each  appealed  to  the  Pope.  His  interference  ex- 
cited the  jealousy  of  the  government,  and  imprisonment,  ban- 
ishment and  death,  became  the  order  of  the  day,  until  the  name 
of  Christian  was  almost  unknown  in  the  empire.  In  Japan  a  still 
more  tremendous  reverse  took  place  in  1615.  The  utter  exter- 
mination of  Christianity,  root  and  branch  was  effected  in  one 
month.  Such  as  would  not  renounce  it,  were  immediately 
banished  or  put  to  death.  Vast  multitudes  of  both  sexes  ex- 
pired under  the  most  cruel  torments.  The  name  of  Christian  has 
ever  since  been  repeated  with  the  utmost  abhorrence.  And 
none  bearing  it,  have  been  permitted  to  place  their  fort  there, 
excepting  a  few  Dutch  merchants  who  had  been  allowed  a  fac- 
tory in  one  of  the  extremities  of  the  kingdom.  From  Abyssinia, 
the  Jesuits  were  forever  banished,  for  their  insolence  and  ambi- 
tion, in  1634. 

At  home  the  Catholic  power  was  weakened  by  unsuccessful 
contests  with  several  European  governments.  In  1606,  Paul 
V.  nearly  lost  the  rich  republic  of  Venice.  Peace  was  made, 
but  the  Pope  relinquished  many  of  his  pretensions,  and  the  Je- 
suits were  banished.  Naples,  Sardinia,  Portugal  and  Spain,  all  in 
their  turn  withheld  some  immunities  which  had  before  been  freely 
granted.  But  the  disputes  with  the  king  of  France,  were  the 
most  violent  and  destructive.  Lewis  XIV.  convened  in  1682,  a 
council  of  the  Gallican  church,  in  which  it  was  decreed,  "  That 
the  power  of  the  Pope  was  merely  spiritual,  and  did  not  at  all 
extend  to  temporalities  ;  that  a  general  council  was  superior  to 
the  Pope  ;  that  the  power  of  the  Pope  was  also  limited  by  the 
Canons,  and  that  his  decisions  are  not  infallible,  without  the 
consent  of  the  church."     This  was  a  most  severe  blow. 

But  the  downfal  of  modern  popery,  is  to  be  dated  from  the 
suppression  of  the  order  of  the  .Jesuits.  This  great  event  was 
owing  to  a  variety  of  causes  ;  chiefly  however,  to  their  conduct 
in  South  America.  Over  the  immense  country  of  Paraguay, 
they  had  estabUshed  an  almost  independent  sovereignty.  The 
Spanish  and  Portuguese  were  excluded  from  il,  lest  they  should 
corrupt  the  converts.  An  immense  trade  was  wholly  monopo- 
lized, and  the  European  monarchs  found  themselves  deprived  of 
all  revenue  from  that  country.     In  1760,  a  treaty  was  made 


Chap.  11.         suppression  of   the  Jesuits.  261 

between  Spain  and  Portugal,  in  which  the  boundaries  of  the  two 
kingdoms  in  South  America,  were  accurately  defined.  The 
Jesuits  forbade  the  approach  of  either  party  into  Paraguay.  But 
an  army  was  sent,  which  soon  broke  through  all  resistance,  and 
in  1758,  the  Jesuits  were  banished  from  the  kingdom  of  Portu- 
gul,  and  soon  after  from  that  of  Spain  and  their  estates  were 
confiscated.  In  ship  loads  they  returned  from  foreign  countries, 
and  in  crowds  they  pressed  from  the  great  peninsula,  to  seek 
some  new  employment  from  their  sinking  patron. 

In  France,  they  fell  into  disgrace-  in  a  religious  controversy. 
In  sentiment  they  were  Pelagians.  In  1640,  Jansenius  pub- 
lished the  doctrines  of  Augustine,  concerning  depravity  and  free 
grace.  The  pubhcation  was  condemned  by  the  inquisition,  and 
the  Pope.  But  Jansenius  had  many  followers.  All  united 
with  him.  who  were  disgusted  with  the  Roman  superstitions,  and 
wished  the  promotion  of  vital  piety.  About  the  same  time,  a 
French  translation  of  the  New  Testament  was  made  by  Quesnel, 
accompanied  with  annotations,  containing  the  principles  of 
Augustine.  Its  circulation  was  rapid.  The  Jesuits  took  fire, 
and  compelled  Pope  Clement  XI.  in  1713,  to  issue  the  bull 
Umgenitus,  conderiiuiiig  that  and  its  notes.  The  Jansenists 
wer»'  inflamed  ;  but  Parliament  confirmed  the  bull,  and  the 
Jansenists  felt  the  horrors  of  persecution.  They  became  en- 
thusiastic, and  pretended  to  supernatural  succours  ;  to  revela- 
tions and  miracles,  and  declared  that,  to  shew  the  truth  of  their 
cause,  God  had  ordered  the  bones  of  their  dead,  especially  of 
the  Abbe  of  Paris,  to  work  miracles.  Thousands  flew  to  the 
Abbe's  tomb,  to  behold  the  wonders,  and  the  Jansenists  grew 
popular.  They  exposed  the  moral  corruptions  of  the  Jesuits, 
and  turned  the  tide  against  them,  so  that  the  order  was  abolished 
in  France,  by  royal  edict  in  1762,  and  all  their  colleges  and  pos- 
sessions were  confiscated  and  sold. 

Still  they  were  upheld  by  the  Pope,  as  he  had  felt  their 
worth  ;  but  their  cause  had  grown  desperate,  and  in  compUance 
with  the  universal  demand,  Ganganelh  or  Clement  XIV.  sup- 
pressed them  entirely  in  all  the  Papal  countries,  July  21,  1773. 

With  the  Jesuits  fell  the  amazing  power  of  Papal  Rome. 
But  she  fell  into  the  fangs  of  a  monster,  more  horrible  than 
ever  stalked  forth  upon  the  bloody  arena  of  depraved  man. 
About  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  a  set  of  most  ferocious 
infidels,  headed  by  Voltaire,  D'Alembert-  Rousseau,  and  Fred- 
eric II.  king  of  Prussia,  resolved  upon  the  annihilation  of  Chris- 
tianity. Berlin  was  the  centre  of  their  operations ;  but  the 
Gjmican  church   was   the  first  object  of  their   attack.     Hei* 


262  ROMAN    CHURCH.  PeRIOD  Ilf. 


Clergy  were  amazingly  numerous  and  rich,  being  no  less  than 
eighteen   archbishops,    one   hundred  and   eleven  bishops,    one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  priests,  with  a  revenue  of  five  mil- 
lions sterling  annually,  besides  three  thousand  and  four  hundred 
wealthy  convents.     But  they  were  an  easy  prey.     The  revoca-ij 
tion  of  the    edict  of  Nantez,  had  driven  experimental  religion  i' 
from  the  kingdom,  and,  with  a  most  splendid  church,  the  nation  (; 
was  given  up  to  infidelity.     Her  priests  themselves-  from  the  vast  ' 
increase  of  light,  were  ashamed  of  their  tricks   and  pious  frauds. ;; 
The   absurdities  of  indulgence,  penance    and  purgatory,  could 
no   longer  be  swallowed  by  a  nation  full  of  intelligence.     The 
conspirators  saw  this,  and  drew  out  the  monster.     The  wealth 
of  the  church  was  a  fine  object  of  attack.     It  was  soon  made 
the  property  of  the  nation.     A  civil  constitution  was  formed  for 
the   clergy,  to  which  all  were  required    to  swear,   on  pain  of 
death,   or  banishment.     The  great  body  refused,  and  priest  and 
altar  were  overturned,  and  blood  once  esteemed  sacred,  flowed 
to  the  horses'  bridles.       Such  as  could,  escaped  through  a  thou- 
sand dangers   and  found  an  asylum  in   foreign  countries.     No 
tongue  can  tell  the  woes  of  the  nation. 

The  revolutionary  torrent  overflowed  the  neighbouring  coun- 
tries, and  laid  waste  the  Roman  church  with  all  her  trumpery. 
Her  priests  were  massacred.  Her  silver  shrines  and  saints, 
were  turned  into  money  for  the  payment  of  troops.  Her  bells 
were  converted  into  cannon,  and  her  churches  and  convents, 
into  barracks  for  soldiers.  From  the  Atlantic,  to  the  Adri- 
atic, she  presented  but  one  most  appalhng  spectacle.  She  had 
shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets,  and  God  now  gave  her 
blood  to  drink. 

The  emperor  Napoleon  despised  the  pope  and  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  monkery.  To  secure  the  reverence  of  the  people  he 
compelled  Fius  the  Seventh,  in  1804,  to  place  the  crown  upon 
his  head,  but  in  less  than  four  years  afler,  he  dispossessed  him  of 
his  ecclesiastical  state,  and  reduced  hnn  to  a  mere  cipher  in  the 
pohtical  world.  The  pope  issued  against  him  and  his  troops  a 
bull  of  excommunication,  but  it  was  the  pitiable  bluster  of  the 
decayed  old  man.  The  Dominicans  in  Spain  felt  his  vengeance, 
and  he  there,  in  1808,  abolished  the  inquisition  With  the  re- 
turn of  the  Bourbons,  the  Galhcan  church  has  again  reared  her 
head,  and  fell  superstition  has  appeared  in  high  places.  In 
Spain  the  infernal  inquisition  has  been  in  part  re-established,* 


*  In  1820  the  inquisition  at  Valencia  was  broken  open  by  the  revolu* 
tionists,  and  five  hundred  were  released  from  its  dark  and  humid  dungeons. 


i 


Chap.  13.  eminent  men.  263 

and  the  pope  has  sent  out  again  some  of  the  order  of  the 
Jesuits. 

The  principles  of  the  Roman  church  are  expressed  in  the  de- 
crees of  the  council  of  Trent  and  the  confession  of  Pius  IV;  but  they 
have  been  always  subject  to  an  exposition  of  the  Pope,  who  has 
claimed  to  be  infallible.  Her  rites  and  ceremonies  have  varied 
but  little  for  centuries.  A  stranger  in  papal  countries  now  feels 
himself  transported  back  into  the  dark  ages. 

Her  Pontiffs,  since  the  reformation,  have  generally  sustained 
a  better  character  than  before.  Some  have  been  weak.  Some 
ambitious.     A  few,  respectable  for  talent  and  piety. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  her  clergy.  Baronius  and  Bellar- 
min  have  been  her  most  eminent- controversialists.  Father  Paul 
of  Venice,  has  been  her  most  distinguished  historian.  Bossuet, 
Bourdaioue  and  Massilion  her  greatest  orators.*  Fenelon,  arch- 
bishop of  Cambray,  was  "the  Enoch  of  his  age."  He  walked 
close  with  God,  and  by  his  writings  did  much  for  the  promotion 
of  piety.  Pascal  and  Quesnel  were  eminent  for  learning  and 
piety.  The  letters  of  Pascal  first  exposed  the  arts  of  the  Jesuits. 
Many  of  the  Jansenists  appeared  to  be  possessed  of  the  faith  and 
iioliness  of  the  gospel.  But  the  great  mass  of  the  Bishops  have 
j^pent  their  time  amid  the  cabals  and  luxuries  of  courts — the 
slaves  of  temporal  princes  ;  and  the  lower  order  of  priests  have 
had  little  but  their  habit,  title  and  a  few  ceremonies  to  shew  that 
they  had  any  connexion  with  Him  whose  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
'Avorld. 

,'     Monastic  orders  have  continued  to  arise.     The  two  most  fa- 
mous since    the  reformation  have  been  "  The  Fathers  of  the 
'oratory  of  the  Holy  Jesus,"  1613,  and  the  monks  of  La  Trappe, 
'11664.     Laziness,  ignorance,  voluptuousness  and  discord  have 

•    *  Bossuet  died  in  1704  bishop  of  Meaux.     He  distinguished  himself  by 
:hi3  funeral  orations  in  honour  of  the  princes  and  great  men  of  his  age. 

Such  was  the  eloquence  of  Bourdaioue  that  on  the  revocation  of  the 
edict  of  Nantez,  Lewis  XIV.  sent  him  to  preach  the  Catholic  doctrines  to 
ihe  Protestants.  He  had  more  solidity  and  close  reasoning  than  Massilion,' 
'but  less  imagination  and  less  of  the  pathetic  and  persuasive.  He  died 
.1704,  aged  72. 

Massilion  was  born  at  Hieres  in  Provence,  1663.  His  powers  of  elo- 
,quence  earlybrought  him  to  Paris,  where  he  long  carried  captive  crowded 
audiences.  His  oratory  was  peculiarly  his  own,  and  such  his  fidelity  as  to 
bring  the  gay  court  of  Lewis  XIV.  and  the  monarch  himself  to  serious  re- 
flection. "Father,"  said  the  king  to  him,  "when  I  hear  other  preachers 
I  go  away  much  pleased  with  them,  but  whenever  I  hear  you,  I  go  away 
much  displeased  with  myself."  In  1717  he  was  made  bishop  of  Clermoot. 
He  died  1742,  aged  79. 


264  ROMAN  CHURCH.  Period  IIL 

continued  to  characterize  all  those  establishments.  The  popula- 
rity of  the  Jesuits  threw  into  the  back  ground  the  whole  tribe  of 
monks  and  friars.  All  experienced  in  the  French  revolution  a 
tremendous  overthrow. 

The  CathoHcs  continue  to  be  very  numerous  in  the  world — 
probably  not  less  than  100  milHons,  an  immense  power  if  brought 
to  act  under  one  head.  Multitudes  in  Asia  know  no  other  reh- 
gion  than  that  of  the  Pope.  A  large  part  of  Europe  is  still  sunk 
m  ignorance  and  Papal  superstition.  In  Spain  the  Papal  power 
has  never  lost  much  of  its  force.  The  inquisition,  has  in  a  degree 
been  suppressed,  but  efforts  are  now  making  to  re-establish  it. 
In  South  America  too,  the  Catholic  church  remains  very  splendid 
and  imposing.  The  number  of  her  priests,  monks,  temples,  fes- 
tivals and  idle  ceremonies  is  immense,  and  the  ignorance  and 
superstition  of  the  people  are  beyond  conception.  But  a  free 
government  must  sap  her  foundations,  or  at  least  entirely  change 
her  character.  Already  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  priesthood 
is  diminished,  monks  are  ridiculed,  feast  days  are  much  disre- 
garded, the  sale  of  indulgences  is  partially  stopped,  the  Bible  is 
getting  into  free  circulation,  and  protestants  live  and  die  undis- 
turbed. In  Great  Britain  and  her  dependencies  Catholics  are 
numerous.  From  the  reign  of  Queen  Ehzabeth  they  have  there 
been  guarded  by  the  most  severe  enactments,  and  numbers  have 
been  put  to  death.  Some  of  these  laws  have  of  late  been  re- 
pealed, but  the  Catholics  are  still  excluded  from  any  part  in  the 
government.  In  Canada  they  are  sunk  in  the  grossest  igno- 
rance. In  the  United  States  they  have  one  archbishop,  four 
bishops,  160  priests,  and  about  140,000  souls,  chiefly  foreigners. 
They  have  colleges  at  Baltimore,  Georgetown,  New-Orleans 
and  St.  Louis.  They  reside  chiefly  in  Maryland,  Louisiana, 
Florida  and  the  capital  cities. 

Though  he  has  millions  in  his  church,  the  wealth  and  conse- 
quence of  the  Pope  have  nearly  all  passed  away.  Strangers 
visit  him  from  curiosity  as  the  remnant  of  that  tremendous  power 
which  once  ruled  the  Christian  world.  The  present  Pope  is  the 
two  hundred  and  fiftieth  that  has  filled  the  Papal  chair. 

Many  in  the  Roman  church  are  gladly  receiving  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  The  1260  years,  the  time  of  her  duration,  is  rapidly 
drawing  to  a  close,  when,  it  is  believed,  she  will  be  merged  in 
that  true  church  which  knows  no  infallible  guide  but  the  scrip- 
tures, and  seeks  salvation  only  by  faith  in  a  crucified  Redeemer. 


Chap.  14.  greek  church.  265 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

trreek  ChureJi.  Its  history,  doctrine,  and  discipline.  "Russian 
Greek    Church.      Its  establishment  and  separation  from  the 

I      Greek  Church.    Sect  of  Isbraniki.    Efforts  of  Peter  the  Great. 

I  Doctrines  and  discipline.  Eastern  churches.  Ground  of  their 
early  divisions.  Nestor ians.  Monophy sites.  Asiatics  and 
Africans.     Copts.     Abyssinians.     Armenians. 

i!  The  once  happy  and  flourishing  churches  of  Greece  and  Asia 
iOon  sunk  to  decay,  when  they  had  drunk  the  poison  of  Arius, 
and  consented,  with  idol  Rome,  to  bow  the  knee  in  image  wor- 
ship. By  the  Saracens  they  were,  from  time  to  time,  awfully 
scourged  and  rooted  up  of  heaven  for  their  wickedness  ;  but  still 
they  flourished  in  much  wealth  and  splendour  while  the  Byzan- 
tine Caesars  held  their  thrones.  The  rising  power  of  the  Roman 
pontifl*  excited  their  jealousy  ;  and  his  pride  and  haughtiness 
kindled  their  rage.  In  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century,  Photius, 
the  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  was  excommunicated  by  the 
Roman  pontifl*,  for  asserting  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeded  only 
from  the  Father  and  not  from  the  Son.  The  act  was  resented 
by  the  Grecian  emperor,  and  the  Roman  pontiff*  was  excommu- 
nicated in  turn.  A  breach  was  made  between  the  Eastern  and 
Western  churches,  which  was  soon  widened  by  new  subjects  of 
contention^  and  confirmed  in  irreconcilable  enmity.  From  this 
period  is  dated  the  rise  of  the  Greek  church  ;  though  that  church 
embraces  the  primitive  churches  planted  by  the  apostles. 

In  numbers,  wealth  and  glory,  the  Grecian  Church  far  exceeded 
(he  spiritual  dominion  of  the  Roman  see.  In  the  tenth  century, 
she  received  into  her  connexion  the  immense  Russian  dominions 
which  were  converted  to  the  Christian  faith.  But  she  had  a  fatal 
cjnemy  in  the  east,  before  whom  she  was  rapidly  consumed.  One 
ifter  another  of  her  beautiful  churches  she  beheld  converted  into 
I  Mahometan  mosque  ;  while  their  worshippers  were  destroyed 
I  by  the  sword,  or  converted  by  terrors  and  bribes  to  the  religion 

I  of  the  impostor.     From  the  west,  the  fanatical  crusaders  came 
'Douring  in  torrents  to  rescue,  if  possible,  her  lost  territory.     She 
1  .vas  jealous  of  their  design,  and  only  submitted  to  what  she  could 
i  jot  resist  ;  and  while  she  had  little  cause  to  thank  them  for  their 
1  ud,  she  had  reason  to  bewail,  had  her  eyes  been  open  to  it,  the 
nheritance  they  lefl; ;  a  vast  deposit  of  moral  cornaption. 

In  1453,  the  empire  of  the  Greeks  was  overthrown  by  the 
Mahometan  power  j  and,  with  it,  perished  theiv  religious  e^tft--. 

^3 


266  ©REEK  CHURCH.  PeRIOD  III. 

blishment.  For  a  few  years,  their  haughty  conquerors  permit- 
ted something  that  bore  the  name  of  a  rehgious  toleration  ;  but 
it  is  a  part  of  the  rehgion  of  a  Turk  to  treat  a  Christian  as  a 
dog,  and  the  toleration  was  soon  exchanged  for  a  rigorous  and 
cruel  despotism.  For  near  400  years,  the  Greek  church  has 
now  continued  in  most  deplorable  bondage,  until  their  reli- 
gion is  but  Httle  better  than  a  constant  succession  of  idle  cere- 
monies. Why  has  it  been  thus  ?  Eternity  will  unfold  the  mys- 
teries of  time.  But  let  the  churches  which  have  the  bright 
light  that  once  shone  on  Asia  and  on  Greece,  behold  and 
beware. 

By  a  defection  of  the  Russian  church  in  1589,  the  Greek 
church  became  considerably  limited  in  its  extent.  Her  people 
are  now  found  scattered  throughout  Greece,  the  Grecian  islands, 
Walachia,  Moldavia,  Sclavonia,  Egypt,  Nubia,  Lybia,  Arabia, 
Mesopotamia,  Syria,  Cilicia  and  Palestine.  These  countries  are 
comprehended  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  patriarchs  of  Con- 
stantinople, Alexandria,  Antioch,  and  Jerusalem.  There  are 
also  branches  of  the  Greek  church  in  Circassia,  Georgia,  and 
Mongreha. 

The  boldest  and  most  artful  efforts  have  been  repeatedly  made 
to  win  the  Greek  church  to  the  Roman  faith,  but  uniformly 
m  vain.  The  very  youth  brought  from  the  east,  and  educated 
at  Rome  at  the  greatest  expense  in  the  papal  colleges,  have,  on 
iheir  return,  been  the  bitterest  foes  to  the  papal  dominion. 

The  Greeks,  while  they  pretend  to  acknowledge  the  Scrip- 
tures as  the  rule  of  their  faith,  have  many  peculiarities  which  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  churches.  They 
receive  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  most  of  the  articles  of 
the  Nicene  and  Athanasian  creeds,  but  rest  much  upon  the  pro- 
cession of  the  Holy  Ghost  from  the  Father,  and  not  from  the 
Son.  They  hold  in  abhorrence  the  supremacy  and  infallibihty 
of  the  pope  ;  purgatory  by  fire  ;  graven  images  ;  the  cehbacy  of 
the  secular  clergy ;  and  prohibition  of  the  sacrament  in  both 
kinds  : — but  yet  use  pictures  in  their  worship  ;  invoke  saints  ; 
have  seven  sacraments ;  believe  in  transubstantiation  ;  admit 
prayers  and  services  for  the  dead  ;  have  a  fast  or  festival  for 
almost  every  day  in  the  year  ;  and  know  of  no  regeneration  but 
baptism. 

Their  officers  are  many  ;  their  convents  numerous,  and  their 
monks  are  all  priests,  who  lead  a  very  austere  hfe.  Their  nun- 
neries are  few.  Their  patriarchs  reside  at  Constantinople,  Da- 
mascus, Cairo  and  Jerusalem.  The  patriarch  of  Constantinople 
in  at  the  head  of  the  church,  and  is  chosen  by  twelve  bishops, 


Chap.  14.  Russian  greek  cHURcfl.  26T 

and  confirmed  by  the  Turkish  emperor.  The  office,  however,  is 
generally  purchased  by  an  immense  sum  of  the  grand  vizier.  It 
is  a  post  honourable  and  lucrative.  Its  possessor  has  a  vast  ju- 
risdiction and  dominion.  He  not  only  decides  controversies  in 
the  church,  but  administers  civil  justice  among  the  members  of 
his  communion.  He  has  the  power  of  excommunicating  any 
member  of  the  Greek  church  ;  and  of  commanding  his  death, 
exile,  or  imprisonment  for  life.  He  is,  in  fact,  the  governor  of 
the  Greeks,  under  the  Turkish  emperor,  and  is  sustained  by  his 
authority.  The  other  patriarchs  are  poor  and  debased,  as  is  the 
whole  church.  Without  schools,  without  Bibles,  without  reli- 
gious teachers,  groaning  for  near  400  years  under  an  iron  bond- 
age, they  have  sunk  into  the  most  deplorable  ignorance  and  mo- 
ral corruption.  With  a  crowd  of  bishops  and  metropohtane, 
they  are  almost  as  ignorant  of  the  true  Gospel  of  Christ  as  the 
benighted  savage.  When,  O  when  shall  the  Mahometan  yoke 
be  broken  and  the  oppressed  go  free  ?  Let  Christians  pray  for 
those  once  great  and  distinguished  churches,  now  in  ruins  ;  aixd 
send  them  back  the  light  of  life. 

Russian  Greek  Church. 

The  immense  wilds  of  Russia  continued  covered  with  moral 
darkness  long  after  the  rest  of  Europe  had  enjoyed  the  precious 
light  of  the  Gospel.  About  the  year  900.  Methodius  and  Cyril, 
the  philosopher  travelled  from  Greece  into  Moravia,  where  they 
translated  some  of  the  church  service  into  the  Sclavonian  lan- 
guage and  converted  the  grand  dutchess  Olga  to  the  Christian 
faith.  Christianity  soon  spread,  and  Russia  became  subject  to 
the  patriarch  of  Constantinople.  Of  any  thing  farther  we  know- 
but  little  until  1581,  when  we  find  the  Muscovites  publishing  the 
Bible  in  their  language  In  1589  Russia  separated  from  the  go- 
vernment, though  not  from  the  communion  of  the  Greek  church, 
and  an  independent  patriarch  was  establisiied  at  Moscow. 

About  the  year  1666,  a  sect  called  the  Ishraniki,  or  multitude; 
of  the  elect  pretending  to  uncommon  piety  and  devotion,  sepa- 
rated from  the  Russian  church,  and  excited  great  disturbances 
throughout  the  empire.  They  were  treated  with  great  severity, 
but  increased,  and  still  remain,  bound  up  in  impenetrable 
secrecy. 

Peter  the  Great  resolved  to  be  the  reformer  of  his  church,  as 
well  as  of  his  empire.  Happy  had  it  been  for  Russia,  had  the 
light  of  the  reformation  dawned  upon  that  noble  mind.  But  he 
knew  no  other  system  than  that  in  which  he  had  been  educated., 
and  made,  therefore-  no  change  in  tlie  doctrines  of  tJie  GreeK 


26^8  RUSSIAN  GREEK  CHURCH*  PeRIOD  III, 

church.  These,  however,  he  was  resolved  his  people  should 
undei-stand  ;  and  he  waged  war  with  the  ignorance  of  the  cler- 
gy, and  the  gross  superstition  which  brooded  over  the  whole  na- 
tion. He  quenched  the  fires  of  persecution,  and  estabHshed  a 
universal  toleration  of  all  sects  and  denominations,  excepting  the 
Catholics.  He  abohshed  the  office  of  patriarch,  putting  himself 
at  the  head  of  the  church  ;  which,  under  him,  was  to  be  govern- 
ed by  a  synod  :  diminished  the  revenues  of  the  clergy  ;  and 
was  once  resolved  to  abohsh  the  monasteries,  as  unfriendly  to 
population.  But  it  was  only  an  age  of  twilight  ;  and  he  was  in- 
duced to  continue  them,  and  erect  a  magnificent  monastery  him- 
self, in  honour  of  Alexander  Newsky  ;  whom  the  Russians  jium- 
ber  among  their  distinguished  heroes  and  saints.  He  caused 
the  Bible  to  be  translated,  printed,  and  circulated  in  the  Sclavo- 
nian  language  ;  and  had  he  lived  in  the  age  of  Alexander,  he 
would  have  placed  a  Bible  in  every  family. 

The  Russian  church  has  increased  with  the  amazing  increase 
of  the  nation.  Happy  for  her  had  she  grown  in  knowledge  and 
hoUness.  But  alas  !  her  clergy  are  ignorant,  and  her  people  are 
without  the  Bible.  The  noble  Russian  Bible  Society,  under  the 
excellent  prince  Gahtzin,  promised  to  raise  her  from  deplo- 
rable degradation,  but  it  has  been  suppressed  by  her  tyrants^ 
jealous  for  their  thrones. 

In  her  doctrine,  she  agrees  with  the  Greek  church  ;  like  her, 
receives  the  seven  sacraments  or  mysteries  ;  allows  no  statues 
or  graven  images,  but  admits  pictures  and  invocation  of  saints; 
and  is,  therefore,  like  her  and  like  Rome,  whom  she  abhors, 
idolatrous.  Her  service  consists  of  a  vast  number  of  idle 
ceremonies  and  absurd  superstitions ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared, 
that  she  is  but  very  little  elevated  above  the  Roman  Catholics 
in  acquaintance  with  evangelical  piety.  Every  person  is 
obliged,  by  the  civil  law,  to  partake  of  the  sacrament  once  a 
year.  An  unparalleled  union  exists  throughout  the  empire, 
in  doctrine  aud  in  practice.  Her  clergy  are  very  numerous, 
and  of  different  orders.  Her  monks  and  nuns  are  about  6000 
each 

Many  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  Roman  Pontiff  and 
Jesuits,  to  effect  an  union  between  the  Catholic  and  Russian 
churches,  but  always  in  vain.  The  Russians  are  very  jealous 
of  their  religious  independence  and  religious  system. 

The  friends  of  truth  encouraged  by  the  promises  of  God's 
word,  are  looking  for  some  great  moral  change  throughout 
those  immense  regi(jns.  A  single  reign  of  one  pious  jmd  libe- 
♦ral  monarch  may,  under  God,  efi'ect  it.  Let  us  rejoice  that  thj>, 
tieaxts  of  kmgs  are  in  his  hands. 


Chap.  14.  eastern  churches.  -269 

Eastern  Churches. 

It  is  wonderful  how  great  results  proceed  from  little  causes, 
and  how  the  human  mind  once  turned  into  a  particular  chan- 
nel, proceeds  on  in  it,  through  successive  ages.  In  the  fifth 
century,  we  saw  Nestorius,  a  Syrian  bishop  of  Constantinople, 
advancing  the  sentiment,  that,  in  Christ  there  were  two  dis- 
tinct natures  and  persons,  the  human  and  divine,  and  that  Mary 
was  to  be  called  the  mother  of  the  man  Jesus,  and  not  of  God, 
In  opposition  to  him,  Eutyches,  an  abbot  at  Constantinople, 
declared  that  these  natures  were  so  united  in  Christ,  as  to 
form  but  one  nature,  that  of  the  Incarnate  word.  It  was  an 
age  when  men  were  fast  losing  sight  of  the  Gospel,  and  con- 
tending about  modes  and  forms  ;  and  these  opposite  opinions 
threw  the  whole  eastern  world  into  bitter  contention,  and 
gave  rise  to  that  great  division,  which  continues  to  this  day 
among  the  miserable  remnant  of  the  Eastern  churches.  The 
followers  of  the  former,  are  called  Nestorians  ;  the  latter,  Mo- 
BophysLtes. 

The  Nestorians  early  became  the  chief  propagators  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  East.  They  enjoyed  the  patronage  of  the  Per- 
sian monarch  Pherazes,  by  whom  their  opponents  were  ex- 
pelled from  his  kingdom,  and  their  patriarch  was  established 
at  Seleucia.  They  established  a  school  at  Nisibis  under  Bar- 
sumas,  a  disciple  of  Nestorius,  from  whence  proceeded  in  the 
fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  a  band  of  missionaries,  who  spread 
abroad  their  tenets,  through  Egypt,  Syria,  Arabia,  India,  Tartary 
and  China.  In  the  twelfth  century,  they  won  over  to  their  faith 
the  prince  of  Tartary,  who  was  baptized  John  ;  and  because 
he  exercised  the  office  of  presbyter,  was,  with  his  successors, 
called  Prester  John.  They  made  converts  also  of  the  Chris- 
tians on  the  coast  of  Malabar,  who,  it  is  supposed,  received 
the  Christian  faith  from  the  Syrian  Mar  Thomas,  in  the  fourth 
or  fifth  century. 

They  formed,  at  one  time,  an  immense  body ;  but  dwindled 
away  before  the  Saracen  power,  and  the  exasperated  heathen 
priests  and  jealous  Chinese  emperors.  They  acknowledged 
but  one  patriarch  until  1561,  who  resided  first  at  Bagdad,  and 
afterwards  at  Mousul.  But  at  this  period,  the  Papists  suc- 
ceeded in  dividing  them,  and  a  new  patriarch  was  consecrated 
by  Pope  Julius  III.  and  established  over  the  adherents  to  the 
Pope,  in  the  city  of  Ormus.  The  great  patriarch  at  Mousul, 
called  Elias,  has  continued,  however,  to  be  acknowledged  to 
this  day,  by  the  greater  part  of  the  Nestorians,  who  are  scat- 
i^ed  over  Asiar 

•2  .'5* 


'2iO  iSASTERN  CHURCHES.  PeRIOD   flL 

Throughout  this  long  period,  they  have  maintained  con- 
siderable purity  of  doctrine  and  worship,  and  kept  free  from 
the  ridiculous  ceremonies  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches. 
Of  their  present  number,  and  religious  character,  we  know 
but  little.  Probably  they  are  very  ignorant,  debased  and  cor- 
rupt. Dr  Buchanan  visited  the  churches  on  the  Malabar 
coast,  in  1806,  and  found  fifty-five  much  discouraged  and 
distressed,  Iheir  doctrines  differed  but  little  from  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Church  of  England.  Surely  they  are  inter- 
esting objects  for  missionary  effort.  Towards  them  the  En- 
glish Church  Missionary  Society,  have  ot  late  directed  their 
attention,  and  they  are  improving  in  doctrine  and  in  morals. 

The  MoNOPHYSiTES  at  first  received  some  encouragementf 
But  were  soon  suppressed  by  the  Grecian  Emperors.  They  found, 
however,  a  father  in  Jacob  Baradeus,  an  obscure  monk,  who 
died  in  588,  bishop  of  Edessa,  leaving  them  in  a  flourishing  state 
in  Syria,  Mesopotamia,  Armenia,  Egypt,  Nubia,  Abyssinia,  and 
other  countries.  In  honour  of  him  they  are,  to  this  day,  called 
Jacobites. 

For  a  long  period,  this  great  body  of  Christians  have  been 
divided  into  three  portions,  the  Asiatics,  the  Africans,  and  the 
/Armenians. 

The  Asiatics  are  subject  to  the  patriarch  of  Antioch,  who, 
since  the  fifteenth  century,  has  borne  the  name  of  Ignatius,  to 
shew  the  world  that  he  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Ignatius,  an 
early  bishop  of  Antioch.  He  resides  at  the  monastery  of  St. 
Ananias,  near  the  city  of  Morden.  Some  of  them  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  subjected  themselves  to  the  church  of  Rome, 
but,  through  the  influence  of  the  Turks,  were  soon  brought  back 
lo  the  dominion  of  Ignatius.  But  the  condition  of  the  whole 
body  is  miserably  debased. 

The  Africans  are  divided  into  the  Copts  and  the  Abyssinians: 
and  are  all  subject  to  a  patriarch,  who  resides  at  Cairo. 

The  Copts  are  in  number  about  30,000.  They  reside  in 
Egypt  and  Nubia  ;  and,  oppressed  by  the  Turks,  are  destitute 
©f  almost  every  comfort  of  life,  and  are  deplorably  ignorant. 
They  have  a  liturgy  in  the  old  Coptic  tongue,  which  is  now 
obsolete.  Their  priests  understand  but  little  of  it.  During 
their  service  they  are  continually  in  motion.  They  have  many 
monasteries  and  hermitages,  but  are  in  a  state  of  beggary. 

The  Abyssinians  are  in  every  respect  superior  to  the  Copts, 
We  know  little  of  their  history.  In  the  middle  of  the  fourth 
century,  Frumenties,  it  has  been  observed,  preached  among 


Chap.  14.  ABYs^miANS,     Armenians.  271 

them  with  great  success,  and  they  were  well  esteemed  at  Rome, 
until  they  adopted  the  system  of  the  Monophysites.  In  1634, 
the  learned  Heyling,  of  Lubec,  a  Lutheran,  went  into  Abyssinia 
with  pious  purposes,  and  recommending  himself  to  the  Emperor, 
he  rose  to  high  office>  in  the  state.  He  returned  to  Europe  for 
missionary  aid,  but  perished  on  the  way.  The  Duke  of  Saxe 
Gotha  sent  one  Gregory,  an  Abyssinian,  who  had  resided  in 
Europe,  to  succeed  him  ;  but  he  was  shipwrecked  on  his  voyage. 
One  VVanstel  oifered  to  supply  his  place,  but  his  conduct  was 
villanous,  and  these  missionary  efforts  ceased.  The  Jesuits 
made  several  attempts  to  bring  them  over  to  the  Church  of 
Rome.  The  Moravians,  every  where  else  successful,  have 
been  obliged  to  abandon  their  enterprises  here.  The  Em- 
peror is  nominally  christian,  and  exercises  a  supremacy  in  the 
church.  The  highest  spiritual  officer  is  the  Abbuna,  or  bishop, 
appointed  by  the  patriarch  at  Cairo.  Their  religion  is  a  strange 
mixture  of  Judaism,  Christianity,  and  the  most  debased  super- 
stition. They  practise  circumcision,  on  females  and  males,  eat 
no  meats  forbidden  by  the  law  of  Moses  ;  observe  two  Sabbaths^ 
Saturday  and  Sunday  ;  oblige  women  to  the  legal  purifications; 
have  many  fasts  and  feasts,  many  legends  of  saints  and  miracles, 
and  pull  off  their  shoes  when  they  worship  ;  but,  like  the 
other  eastern  churches,  they  are  so  sunk  in  ignorance  as  to  know 
hut  little  of  vital  piety.  It  is  favourable,  however,  that  they 
read  the  four  evangelists  every  year  in  their  churches,  and  it  13 
to  be  hoped  that  God  blesses  his  word  to  the  salvation  of 
some.     They  have  churches  in  Persia,  Russia,  and  Poland. 

Great  eflbrts  have  been  made  by  the  Roman  Pontiff  to  con- 
vert the  African  Monophysites  to  their  faith,  but  in  vain.  In 
1634,  the  Abyssinians  banished  forever  the  Jesuits  from  theii- 
country.  They  have  ever  displayed  an  astonishing  attachment 
to  the  religion  of  their  ancestors.  O  that  they  had  it  in  its 
purity.  Here  were  once  some  of  the  best  churches  of  Christ. 
The  north  of  Africa  was  consecrated  by  the  prayers,  and  watered 
by  the  tears  of  Cyprian,  Anthanasius,  Tertullian,  Augustine  ; 
but  now  it  is  the  residence  of  every  unclean  bird  and  beast. 
But  Ethiopia  shall  stretch  out  her  hands  to  God. 

The  Armenians  inhabit  the  vast  country  east  and  northeast  e 
Syria.  They  differ  so  much  from  the  other  Monophysites  iji 
faith,  discipline,  and  worship,  as  to  hold  no  communion  with 
them. 

A  church  was  planted  among  them  in  the  fourth  century  by 
Gregory,  called  the  enlightened.  This  church  has  remamed, 
though  their  country  ha3  been  laid  waste  and  subjected  to  the 


272  EASTERS    CHURCHES.  PeRIOD  III. 

Turks,  Tartars,  and  Persians.  A  vast  number  of  Armenian 
merchants  have,  from  time  to  time,  settled  in  various  parts  of 
Europe,  who  have  remembered  her  with  affection,  and  supplied 
her  with  the  means  of  knowledge.  An  Armenian  version  of  the 
Bible,  made  about  the  time  of  Chrysostom,  from  the  Greek  of 
the  Septuagint,  was  printed  at  Amsterdam  in  1664,  and  dis- 
persed through  the  country 

The  Armenian  church  at  present  embraces  42,000  individuals 
in  the  Russian  provinces ;  70,000  in  Persia,  and  in  Turkey 
1,600,000;  100,000  reside  in  Constantinople.  Her  merchants 
are  the  bankers  of  the  East.  Her  clergy  are  of  different  orders 
and  very  numerous.  Their  patriarch  who  resides  in  a  monastery  at 
Ekmiazen,  near  Erivan  in  Persia,  is  said  to  have  an  immense  in- 
come, while  his  food  and  dress  are  on  a  level  with  the  poorest 
monk.  He  has  under  him  three  other  patriarchs  and  fifty  arch- 
bishops. Their  monastic  discipline  is  very  severe.  By  it  all 
their  ecclesiastics  are  qualified  for  their  stations.  The  Sultan 
appoints  a  patriarch  in  Constantinople  and  Jerusalem,  who 
have  no  share  in  the  government  of  the  church,  and  are  mere 
instruments  for  enforcing  his  firmans,  and  collecting  the  capita- 
tion tax  for  which  they  are  responsible. 

Sumptuous  and  unmeaning  ceremonies,  ridiculous  traditions, 
lying  wonders,  superstitious  rites,  characterize  this  crumbling 
church,  while  her  priests  and  bishops  are  sunk  in  the  lowest  ig- 
norance and  sensuality,  and  are  treated  by  her  enlightened  mer- 
chants with  the  greatest  contempt.  The  papists  have  made  con- 
stant efforts  to  bring  this  church  under  their  dominion,  and  have 
persuaded  about  4000  in  Constantinople  to  acknowledge  the  su- 
premacy of  the  Pope. 

A  recent  event  has  excited  hopes  of  great  changes  in  the 
East.  A  farewell  letter  of  Mr.  King,  an  American  Missionaryr 
to  the  people  of  Syria,  found  its  way  to  Constantinople,  and  pro- 
duced great  excitement.  A  council  was  immediately  convened 
consisting  of  all  the  Armenian  monks  and  priests  and  bishops 
and  patriarchs,  of  whom  several  happened  at  that  time  to  be  iu 
Constantinople,  also  of  all  the  principal  Armenians  of  the  laity, 
together  with  two  of  the  Greek  patriarchs. — The  Bible  was  pro- 
duced and  examined  relative  to  the  truth  of  statements  by 
Mr.  King,  and  resolutions  were  passed  reforming  the  convent  at 
Jerusalem,  forbidding  any  additions  to  the  monks  or  priests  for 
25  years,  and  suppressing  pilgrimages  to  Jerusalem,  and  all  at- 
tendance upon  the  pretended  miracle  of  the  Holy  fire.  There 
is  evidently  among  them  a  strong  tendency  to  a  reformation. 
May  some  Luther  rise  and  bring  them  to  the  knowledge  of  thi- 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jcsu?. 


Chap.  15.    protestant  or  reformed  churches.       S7S- 

The  Maronites  are  a  sect  of  Eastern  Christians  who  are 
subject  to  the  Pope  of  Rome.  Their  principal  habitation  is  on 
Mount  Libanus.  They  have  a  patriarch  who  resides  at  a  mo- 
nastery on  the  mount.  They  were  connected  with  the  Mono- 
thehtes  until  the  12th  century,  when  they  united  with  the  Roman 
church  on  this  condition,  that  they  should  retain  all  their  an- 
cient rites  and  customs,  which  they  do  to  the  present  time. 
They  have  many  monks,  are  very  ignorant  and  wretched,  and 
a  great  tax  upon  the  church  of  Rome.  There  are  also  in  the 
same  country  Greek  Roman  Catholics  ;  Armenian  Roman  Ca- 
tholics ;  Syrian  Roman  Catliolics,  and  Latins  or  Frank  PwOraan  Ca-. 
fholicB. 


CHAPTFR  XT. 

'Divisions  of  the  Protestants.  Lutherans.  Their  residence^  rise, 
system  of  faith,  Itturgtf^  government.  Persecutions.  Interna^ 
commotions.     Synergiatical  controversy.     Attempts  at  a  recon- 

"  dliation  between  them,  and  the  Calvinists.  Syncretistic  con- 
troversy. Degeneracy  of  clergy  and  churches  Pietistical 
controversy.  Liberalism.  Present  state  of  religion  in  their 
churches.     Swedenborgianism.      Theological  erudition. 

When  the  CathoUcs  saw  the  Reformers  contending  about 
points  of  faith  and  practice  they  derided  them  for  forsaking  the 
infallible  head.  But  time  has  proved  that  the  decisions  of  the 
Pope   were  of  all  others  the  most  preposterous  and  absurd. 

Why  God  does  not  enable  his  children  to  see  "  eye  to  eye," 
is  among  the  mysteries  to  be  unfolded  hereafter.  A  motionless 
ocean  would  breed  putrefaction  and  death.  It  may  be  so  at 
present,  in  the  moral  world.  The  great  head  of  the  Church, 
juay  see  it  best  for  his  children  to  be  in  a  perpetual  search  after 
truth ;  best  for  wave  to  dash  against  wave,  and  billow  to 
roll  over  billow. 

As  it  had  been  for  centuries  in  the  East,  so  was  it  now  to  be 
in  the  West.  Those  bold  spirits  who  had  bid  defiance  to  the 
thunders  of  the  Pope,  and  had  opened  the  eyes  of  half  the  na- 
tions, were  to  be  leaders  or  heads  of  vast  portions  of  the  re- 
formed church,  and  to  dash  one  against  another^  perhaps  until 
the  millennium.  To  enumerate  all  the  different  sentiments  ad- 
vanced by  the  Protestants,  would  be  almost  impossible.     Tho 


S74  LUTHERANS.  PeRIOD  IIL 

great  mass  of  those  who  came  out  from  the  church  of  Rome* 
enlisted  under  Luther  and  Melanchton,  Zuingle  and  Calvin. 

Lutherans. 

The  followers  of  Luther  and  Melanchton,  have  resided  chiefly 
in  the  north  of  Germany,  in  Prussia,  Denmark,  Norway  and 
Sweden.  They  have  spread  also  to  some  extent,  in  Russia, 
France,  Holland  North  America  and  the  Danish  West  India 
Islands.  In  honour  of  the  great  reformer,  they  have  assumed 
the  name  of  Lutherans. 

The  Lutherans  date  the  rise  of  their  church,  from  the  ex- 
communication of  Luther  by  the  Pope  ;  but  do  not  view  it  as 
completely  estabUshed  until  the  peace  of  Passau,  1552. 

Their  system  of  faith,  is  the  confession  of  Augsburg.  Its  capi- 
tal articles  are,  the  sufficiency  of  the  scriptures  as  a  rule  of  faith 
and  practice  ;  justification  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  and  the 
necessity  and  freedom  of  divine  grace.  It  was  the  common 
faith  of  the  reformers.  That  which  gave  them  distinction  as  a 
separate  denomination,  was  the  favourite  opinion  of  Luther, 
that  though  according  to  the  papists,  the  bread  and  wine  in  the 
sacrament,  are  not  converted  into  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 
yet  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  are  materially  present  with  them, 
though  in  an  incomprehensible  manner.  A  wide  breach  was 
early  made  with  Zuinghus  and  the  Helvetic  churches  who  con- 
sidered the  bread  and  wine  only  as  symbolical  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ  broken  and  shed  for  us. 

This  breach  was  increased  by  a  pertinacity  on  the  part  of  the 
Lutherans,  to  retain  in  their  worship  some  of  the  forms  of  the 
Cathohcs  ; — exorcism  in  baptism  ;  the  use  of  wafers  in  the 
Lord's  supper  ;  private  confession  of  sin  ;  images,  incense  and 
lighted  tapers  in  their  churches  a  crucifix  on  the  altar  ; — also  to 
observe  many  of  the  festivals  of  the  Roman  church  and  days  of 
saints  and  martyrs. 

Luther  drew  up  for  his  followers,  a  liturgy  or  form  of  divine 
service  ;  but  they  have  not  been  confined  to  that  nor  to  any 
particular  form  of  government.  In  Germany  the  superior  power 
is  vested  in  a  consistory,  which  has  a  president  with  a  distinction 
of  rank  and  privilege.  Denmark,  Norway  and  Sweden  acknowl- 
edge episcopacy  ;  but  their  bishops  have  not  that  pre-eminence 
which  is  enjoyed  in  England.  The  supreme  ruler  of  the  state  is 
ever  acknowledged  as  head  of  the  Church. 

This  portion  of  the  refoimed  church  has  suflfered  no  persecu- 
tion since  the  peace  of  religion^  except  in  1618,  when  the  Catho* 


Chap.  15.  synergistical  controversy.  275' 

lies  made  war  upon  it  through  the  bigotted  house  of  Austria, 
under  pp  tence  that  it  had  departed  from  the  confession  of 
Augsburg.  Their  sufferings  for  30  years  were  very  great,  but 
they  were  reheved  by  the  friendly  interposition  of  Gustavus  of 
Sweden,  and  in  the  peace  of  WestphaUa  in  1648,  had  all  theii' 
rights  and  privileges  secured  to  them. 

Her  internal  commotions  upon  points  of  faith  and  practice, 
have  often  been  violent.  To  the  Sacramental  controversy,  suc- 
ceded  a  dispute  among  her  own  members  upon  the  Interim,  or 
propriety  of  yielding  to  the  Emperor  and  church  of  Rome  in 
things  indifferent.  The  pacific  spirit  of  Melanchton,  was  dis- 
posed to  yield  points  in  the  article  of  justification  and  in  the 
papal  ceremonies  and  jurisdiction,  for  which  Luther  had  most 
strenuously  contended.  He  met  with  warm  opposition  from 
Flaccius,  professor  of  divinity  at  Jena.  In  1552,  arose  a  warm 
controversy  upon  the  necessity  of  good  works  ;  and  soon  after 
another  called  the  synergistical  controversy,  upon  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  human  will   with  divine  grace  in  conversion. 

Before  the  death  of  Melanchton,  a  considerable  defection 
had  taken  place  from  the  doctrines  of  absolute  predestination, 
irresistible  grace,  and  man's  moral  impotence,  in  which  Luther 
agreed  with  Calvin.  Men  seemed  to  be  wearied  with  the  bold 
efforts  and  the  astonishing  advancement  which  they  had  made 
in  the  discovery  of  truth,  and  as  is  natural  to  the  human  mind, 
to  repose  and  go  backward.  Some  things,  however,  were  fa- 
vourable. 

A  large  body  grew  dissatisfied  with  consubstantiation,  and 
endeavoured  to  extirpate  it  from  their  churches.  To  check 
their  progress,  a  standard  of  doctrine  was  adopted  by  the 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  authorities  in  1576,  at  Torgau,  called 
the  Form  of  Concord,  and  imposed  upon  the  churches  as  a 
term  of  communion.  It  occasioned  great  disturbances.  Some 
of  the  churches  refused  to  adopt  it.  Many  of  the  opposers  of 
Luther's  sentiment  upon  the  sarrament,  were  imprisoned.  The 
Landgrave  of  Hesse,  and  the  elector  of  Brandenberg,  re- 
nounced Lutheranism,  and  embraced  the  communion  of  the 
Genevan  church,  which  was  a  severe  stroke  to  the  ]-.utheran 
cause. 

The  separation  which  was  continually  widening  between  the 
followers  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  filled  the  minds  of  all  the  pro- 
testant  world  with  deep  concern.  Many  attempts  were  made 
to  reconcile  them.  James  !.,  king  of  Great  Britain,  interposed 
by  an  embassy,  in  1615.  Many  conferences  were  held,  but  all 
all  vain.     The  Lutherans  were  always  unyielding. 


276  LUTHERANS.  PeBIOD  HI* 

Calixtus,  professor  in  the  University  of  Helmstadt,  supposed 
that  the  true  principles  of  the  Gospel,  were  retained  in  the 
Roman,  Lutheran  and  Calvinistic  confessions,  and  endeavoured 
to  bring  these  churches  together.  His  writings  gave  rise  to 
what  is  called  the  Syncretistic  controversy.  The  Lutherans 
heaped  upon  him  torrents  of  abuse,  which,  as  he  was  a  man 
df  much  merit,  prejudiced  against  them  all  candid  and  liberal 
ininds.  Had  the  Lutheran  clergy  acted  out  their  principles  in 
Iheir  lives,  their  enemies  would  have  had  but  little  advan- 
tage over  them.  But  while  contending  violently  for  their  doc- 
trines, their  morals  were  low.  Through  their  carelessness  and 
impotence,  discipline  failed,  and  a  general  degeneracy  was 
visible  in  their  churches,  before  the  close  of  the  sixteenth 
^■^entury. 

Disgusted  with  their  strife  and  the  grossness  of  their  lives, 
a  small  party  called  Pietists,  arose  about  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  endeavoured  to  revive  experimental 
religion.  Their  leader  was  Spener.  He  published  a  book, 
called  Pious  Desires,  exhibiting  the  disorders  of  the  church, 
and  pointing  out  the  necessity  and  means  of  reformation,  which 
Was  very  popular.  He  gained  some  adherents,  particularly 
'Franchius,  Schadius  and  Paulus,  three  professors  of  philoso- 
phy, who  gave  in  their  colleges,  an  evangehcal  exposition  of 
Scripture.  Their  Bible  Classes  were  popular,  and  roused  a 
spirit  of  opposition  :  tumults  were  excited,  and  the  professors 
were  brought  before  the  public  authorities,  and  charged  no 
more  to  teach  thus  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

Persecution  only  strengthened  and  increased  them.  The 
Pietists,  as  they  were  now  called  in  derision,  were  found  in  all 
the  towns,  villages  and  cities,  where  Lutheranism  was  profess- 
ed, and  by  the  reformation  which  they  demanded,  produced  a 
prodigious  excitement.  They  insisted  on  a  reform  in  the  pre- 
valent system  of  theological  instruction,  which  was  devoted 
almost  entirely  to  the  subtilties  of  controversy,  neglect- 
ing the  Scriptures  and  practical  religion  ; — demanded  ex- 
perimental piety  in  all  candidates  for  the  ministry ; — con- 
demned dancing,  pantomimes  and  theatrical  amusements,  as 
unlawful  and  ruinous  to  the  Christian,  and  recommended  pri- 
vate assemblies  for  prayer  and  religious  conversation. 

They  were  the  puritans  of  Germany.  But  their  enemies 
charged  them  with  despising  philosophy  and  learning  and 
theological  discussion  ;  and  derogating  from  the  power  and 
efficacy  of  the  word  of  God,  which,  they  said,  would  be  as 
great,  though  it  was  delivered  by  an  unregenerate  minister  ;- 


Chap.  15.  ptf.tists.  277 

and  with  useless  austerities  in  public,  and  loose  practices 
in  private  meetings,  so  that  they  were  publicly  proceed- 
ed against  by  the  civil  authorities.  But  vast  good  follow- 
ed their  effort.  A  general  revival  spread  over  Germany. 
Professor  Frank  established  an  orphan  house  in  1705,  which 
was  remarkably  blessed  of  heaven. 

Happy  had  it  been  for  the  Lutheran  cause,  had  the  Pietists 
retained  their  principles  and  views,  and  enforced  their  de- 
mands. But  it  was  not  an  age  of  light.  They  degenerated 
and  were  joined,  or  rather  followed,  in  subsequent  periods, 
by  enthusiasts  and  fanatics,  who,  pretending  to  inspirations 
and  revelations,  went  through  Germany  and  Denmark,  pulling 
up,  as  they  said,  iniquity  by  the  root  ;  prophesying  the  down- 
fal  of  Babel,  i.  e.  the  Lutheran  church  ;  terrifying  the  popu- 
lace by  fictitious  visions,  and  introducing  a  mystical  jargon  in 
place  of  true  religion. 

These  persons,  who  were  of  a  very  different  character  from 
the  original  Pietists,  excited,  for  a  long  time,  great  disturb- 
ances. Some  of  the  principal  authors  of  delusion,  were  John 
W.  Peterson,  Jacob  Behmen,  Paul  Naget,  Martin  Sidelius,  and 
a  host  of  fanatical  prophets.  No  tongue  can  tell  the  injury 
they  did  to  the  cause  of  religion  throughout  Germany. 

Among  other  consequences,  the  learned  and  refined  were  led 
to  the  study  of  a  philosophical  religion.     They  thought  that  in 
no  other  way  could  a  stop  be  put  to  the  progress  of  supersti- 
tion.    The  science  of  metaphysics  was  brought  into  notice,  and 
applied  to  religion  by  Leibnitz   and  Wolf     The    application 
gave  much  offence  to  sucli   as  loved  the   simple   doctrines  of 
Christianity ;  but  it  was  exceedingly  popular  in  the  universities. 
Metaphysical  and  mathematical  demonstrations  were  produced 
of  the  Trinity  ;  of  the  nature  of  Christ,  and  of  the  duration  of 
the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked.     One  Laurence  Schmidt 
commenced  a  new  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  to  which  he 
prefixed  a  system  of  theology,  drawn  up  in  geometrical  order, 
which  was  to  be  his  guide  in  interpreting  the  Scriptures.     Others 
I  were  exceedingly  bold  in  the  middle  and  at  the  close  of  the  last 
j  century  in  their  attempts  to  expunge  every  peculiarity  in  the 
1  gospel  system  and  give  Christianity  a  philosophical  garb.     But 
I  none  went  to  such  lengths,  or  have  been  so  successful  as  Semler, 
I  a  man  of  great  ingenuity  and  extensive  learning.     He  threw 
I  aside  entirely  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures;  gave  rise  to 
liwhat  is  termed  the  doctrine  of  accommodation  ;  denied  the  post 
jsibility  of  miracles;  ridiculed  the  account  of  the  creation  as  a 
^philosophical  fable,  and  of  Christ,  3s  a  new  mythology ;  anC 


278  LUTHERANS.  PeRIOD  IIL 

viewed  what  was  said  by  Him  as  uttered  in  condescension  to 
the  ignorance  and  weakness  of  the  Jews,  and  the  writings  of 
his  Apostles  as  little  better  than  nonsense.  His  disciples  have 
been  numerous,  and  his  system  has  been  spread  with  amazing 
industry  throughout  Germany.  It  has  almost  destroyed  those 
few  churches  in  which  were  once  preached  the  doctrines  of  the 
reformation. 

But  notwithstanding  these  great  defections  in  the  Lutheran 
church,  a  precious  body  of  pastors  and  churches  are  found  through- 
out Germany,  Denmark,  Sweden,  and  Norway,  and  a  laudable 
zeal  has  recently  been  excited  for  spreading  the  Gospel  and  cir- 
culating the  Scriptures  and  tracts  in  every  direction.  Liberalism 
is  not  adapted  to  the  pious  poor.  Such  choose  a  literal  inter- 
pretation of  the  Augsburg  confession,  which  still  remains  the 
standard  of  their  faith.  Nor  is  evangelical  truth  confined  to 
these.  Some  eminently  learned  men  have  of  late  boldly  defended 
the  ancient  faith,  through  whose  labours  Liberalism  has  received 
such  a  check  that  it  is  evidently  on  the  decline.  Two  of  the 
original  supports  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  the  Electorate  of  Sax- 
ony and  the  Principality  of  Hesse,  went  back  at  the  close  of  the 
last  century  to  the  Catholic  faith.  The  efforts  of  the  Catholics 
to  regain  their  lost  possessions,  have  produced  a  warm  spirit  of 
animosity,  and  proselytism  both  in  them  and  the  Protestants. 
It  has  also  resulted  in  a  great  union  between  the  Lutheran  and 
Reformed  churches  throughout  the  Prussian  monarchy,  in  the 
Hessian  territories,  and  in  those  of  Nassau,  in  the  Palati- 
nate and  in  Baden.  These  churches  generally  retain  the  or- 
ganization they  received  at  the  time  of  the  reformation. 

The  Lutheran  church  has  received  considerable  extension 
from  the  emigration  of  her  members,  at  different  times,  to  various 
parts  of  the  world. 

From  among  the  Lutherans  have  proceeded  the  Moravians 
and  the  Swedenborgians,  or  followers  of  the  Hon.  Emanuel 
Swedenborg,  who  pretended  to  visions  and  revelations,  and 
founded  in  1743  what  he  called  the  New  Jerusalem  Church. 

Swedenborg's  theology  is  very  mystical,  and  is  expressed  in 
language  to  which  most  men  can  attach  no  ideas.  But  it  is 
pleasing  to  the  visionary,  and  he  has  followers  in  Europe  and 
America ;  though  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  mankind  can 
receive  any  benefit  from  his  system. 

In  Missionary  efforts  the  Lutherans  have  not  been  behind 
other  reformed  churches. 

In  1717  and  1817,  they  commemorated  their  deliv^ranjcc 
froHi  the  Church  of  Rome. 


Chap.  16.  calvinists  or  reformed.  279 

Their  learned  men  have  been  very  numerous.  Their  princes 
early  endowed,  with  great  munificence,  schools  and  universi- 
ties, that  their  rising  church  might  be  furnished  with  able  critics 
and  sound  theologians.  Luther  was  a  host.  Melanchton  was  one 
of  the  greatest  scholars  of  that  or  any  other  age.  Carlostadt, 
Weller,  Flacius,  Bucer,  Westphal,  Phieffer,  Spener,  have  held 
a  high  rank.  Leibnitz,  Wolf,  Semler,  Kant,  Schelling,  have 
been  extolled  by  the  Liberals.  Among  the  orthodox,  Storr, 
Winer,  Wahl,  have  recently  laboured  with  great  effect. 


CHAPTER    XVL 

Helvetic  Churches.  Difference  between  Zuinglius  and  Calvin. 
Triumph  of  Calvimsm.  Its  five  points.  Genevan  Academy. 
Controversies  with  the  Lutherans.  Internal  dissensions.  Spi- 
ritual Brethren  and  Sisters.  Castalio.  Bolsec.  Servetus. 
Persecutions  from  the  Catholics.  Rise  of  Jirminianism.  Sy- 
nod of  Dort,  Decline  of  Calvinism  in  Holland-,  England, 
France,  Szvitzerland.  Disputes  in  Holland.  Present  state  of 
the  reformed  Churches.  Literature  of  the  Calvinists.  Dis- 
tinguished men.  Five  points  of  Arminius.  Persecution  of 
his  followers.     Their  restoration  and  prosperity. 

The  Helvetic  Churches,  which  adhered  to  Zuinglius  in  the 
sacramental  controversy,  and  in  his  simple  forms  of  divine 
worship,  and  which,  in  opposition  to  both  the  Lutheran  and 
Cathohc,  assumed  the  title  of  Reformed,  received  at  his 
death,  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  Calvin.  They  were  sub- 
jected by  this  act,  to  many  changes. 

Zuinglius  had  given  unbounded  power  in  the  government  of 
the  churches,  to  the  civil  magistrate.  But  Calvin  directed 
that  the  churches  should  be  governed  by  presbyteries  and  sy- 
nods ;  composed  of  clergy  and  laity ;  without  bishops  or  any 
clerical  subordination  ;  leaving  it  to  the  civil  magistrate  only 
to  provide  for  their  support,  and  defend  them  from  enemies. 
This  form  of  government  was  called  Presbyterian. 

Zuinghus  viewed  the  bread  and  wine  in  the  sacrament  only 
as  symbolical  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ ;  but  Calvin, 
hoping  to  reconcile  the  Lutherans,  acknowledged  a  real, 
though  spiritual  presence  of  Christ  in  the  ordinance. 

Zuinglius  permitted  all  persons,  regenerate  and  unregene- 


280  CALVINISTS   OR    REFORMED.  PeRIOD    III. 

rate,  to  partake  of  the  supper.  Calvin  viewed  it  as  improper 
for  any  to  partake,  who  had  not  been  born  of  the  Spirit. 

Zuinglius  suffered  the  doctrine  of  divine  decrees  to  form  no 
part  of  his  theology.     Calvin  made  it  an  essential  part  of  his. 

ZuingUus  confined  the  power  of  excommunication,  to  the 
magistrate.  Calvin,  to  the  ministers  and  churches  ;  but 
thought  the  magistrate  should  punish  the  dissolute. 

The  Swiss,  however,  would  not  at  once  readily  accede  to  all 
Calvin's  views,  especially  to  his  forms  of  church  government. 
But  the  talents  and  perseverance  of  Calvin,  at  length  gained  a 
triumph  here,  and  among  tiie  reformed  churches  in  France, 
Holland,  Scotland,  over  the  descendants  of  the  Waldenses, 
in  the  vallies  of  Piedmont,  and  over  very  many  Lutheran 
churches  in  Germany,  Poland,  Prussia,  Hungary  and  Transyl- 
vania. 

Among  this  vast  collection  of  churches,  however,  which,  in 
a  short  time  became  Calvinistic,  there  was  never  a  perfect 
uniformity  of  doctrine  or  government.  The  leading  articles  of 
Calvin's  faith,  were  predestination,  particular  redemption,  to- 
tal depravity,  effectual  calling,  and  saints'  perseverance-  On 
these  points  he  maintained, 

I.  ''  That  God  hath  chosen  a  certain  number  of  the  fallen 
race  of  Adam,  in  Christ,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world, 
unto  eternal  glory,  according  to  his  immutable  purpose,  and  of 
his  free  grace  and  love,  without  the  least  foresight  of  faith, 
good  works,  or  any  conditions  performed  by  the  creature,  and 
that  the  rest  of  mankind  he  was  pleased  to  pass  by.  and  ordain 
to  dishorour  and  wrath,  for  their  sins,  to  the  praise  of  his  vin- 
dictive justice. 

II.  "  That  though  the  death  of  Christ  be  a  most  perfect  sa- 
crifice and  satisfaction  for  sins  of  infinite  value,  and  abundantly 
sufficient  to  expiate  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  and  though, 
on  this  ground,  the  Gospel  is  to  be  preached  to  all  mankind  in- 
discriminately ;  yet  it  was  the  will  of  God,  that  Christ,  by  the 
blood  of  the  cross,  should  efficaciously  redeem  all  those,  and 
those  only,  who  were  from  eternity  elected  to  salvation  and 
given  to  him  by  the  Father. 

III.  "  That  mankind  are  totally  depraved  in  consequence  of 
the  fall  of  the  first  man,  who,  being  their  public  head,  his  sins 
involved  the  corruption  of  all  his  posterity,  and  which  corrup- 
tion extends  over  the  whole  soul,  and  renders  it  unable  to  turn 
to  God,  or  to  do  any  thing  truly  good,  and  exposes  it  to  his 
righteous  displeasure,  both  in  this  world  and  that  which  is  to 
comeo 


Chap.  16.  five  points  of  calvin.  281 

IV.  "  That  all  whom  God  hath  predestinated  unto  eternal 
life,  he  is  pleased,  in  his  appointed  time,  effectually  to  call  by 
his  word  and  Spirit  out  of  that  state  of  sin  and  death  in  which 
they  were  by  nature,  to  grace  and  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ. 

V.  "  That  those  whom  God  has  effectually  called  and  sancti- 
fied by  his  Spirit,  shall  never  finally  fall  from  a  state  of  grace. 
That  true  believers  may  fall  partially,  and  would  fall  totally  and 
finally,  but  for  the  mercy  and  faithfulness  of  God,  who  helpeth 
the  feet  of  the  saints  ;  also,  that  he  who  bestoweth  the  grace 
of  perseverance,  bestoweth  it  by  means  of  reading  and  hear- 
ing the  word,  meditation,  exhortations,  threatenings  and  pro- 
mises ;  but  that  none  of  these  things  imply  the  possibility  of  a 
believer's  falling  from  a  state  of  justification." 

Calvin  also  taught  the  doctrine  of  three  co-ordinate  persons 
in  the  Godhead,  in  one  nature,  and  of  two  natures  in  Jesus 
Christ,  forming  one  person,  of  justification  by  faith,  and  of  the 
eternal  happiness  of  the  righteous,  and  endless  misery  of  the 
finally  impenitent. 

These  principles  were  fully  embodied  in  the  catechism  of 
Heidelberg,  drawn  up  by  Ursinus  for  the  use  of  the  church  of 
the  palatinate  in  Germany,  which,  first  under  the  elector  Frede- 
rick III.  in  1560,  and  afterwards  under  John,  in  1583,  em- 
braced the  discipline  of  Geneva.  The  protestants  in  Holland, 
Poland  and  Hungary,  received  Calvin's  views  of  the  sacra- 
ment, but  not  readily,  of  predestination.  The  church  of  En- 
gland became,  under  Edward  VI.  Calvinistic  in  doctrine,  but 
would  not  renounce  episcopacy.  The  Bohemian  and  Moravian 
brethren,  also  received  the  creed  of  the  Calvinists,  while  they 
retained  their  ancient  .government.  The  French  and  Scotch 
churches,  came  entirely  into  Calvin's  views.  To  the  consis- 
tory of  Geneva,  the  Scotch  added  a  general  assembly  of  the 
whole  church — a  tribunal,  to  which  should  be  referred  matters 
of  highest  moment. 

Of  the  reformed  churches,  Calvin  was  the  life  and  the  soul. 
From  his  academy  at  Geneva,  proceeded  for  many  years,  a 
great  number  of  distinguished  students,  who  filled  England, 
Scotland,  France,  Italy  and  Germany,  with  his  doctrine.  He 
was  succeeded  by  his  colleague  Theodore  Beza,  who  pub- 
lished a  Latin  version  of  the  New  Testament  enriched  with 
critical  observations,  and  maintamed  for  many  years,  the  high 
reputation  of  the  academy. 

In  their  early  stages,  these  churches  were  engaged  in  violent 
controversies  with  the  Lutherans.  The  chief  point  of  diffe- 
rence regarded  the  Lprd's  supper.    They  differed  also,  coij^ 

24* 


282  CALVINISTIC  OR  REFORMED.  PeRIOD  IIL 

cerning  the  decrees  of  God  ;  the  Lutherans,  affirming  that 
hese  decrees  proceeded  from  a  previous  knowledge  of  men's 
sentiments  and  characters,  and  the  Reformed,  that  they  are 
free  and  unconditional,  founded  on  the  will  of  God  ; — and  con- 
cerning some  Catholic  rites  and  institutions — the  use  of  images 
in  the  churches,  of  wafers  in  the  supper,  exorcism  in  baptism, 
private  confession  of  sin  and  clerical  vestments,  which  the  Lu- 
therans thought  proper  and  useful,  but  which  the  Reformed 
condemned,  on  the  principle  that  the  worship  of  the  Christian 
church  ought  to  be  restored  to  its  primitive  simphcity.  In 
these  controversies,  the  Calvinists  were  generally  triumphant, 
and  brought  over  to  their  communion  many  Lutheran  churches. 

With  divisions  and  disputes  among  themselves,  they  were 
much  less  afflicted  than  the  Lutherans  ;  but  they  were  not  whol- 
ly unmolested.  A  sect  called  the  spiritual  brethren  and  sisters, 
spread  in  Flanders,  affirming  that  God  was  the  sole  operating 
cause  in  the  mind  of  man  and  the  immediate  author  of  all  human 
actions  ;  that  religion  consisted  in  an  union  of  the  spirit  with  God, 
and  that  those  who  had  formed  this  union  could  not  sin,  do  what 
they  would  ;  and,  being  favoured  by  Margaret  queen  of  Navarre, 
gave  Calvin  no  small  trouble.  At  Geneva,  Calvin's  doctrine  of 
decrees  was  openly  contemned  by  Castalio,  master  of  the  pub- 
lic school  and  Jerome  Bolsec,  a  French  monk.  Both  were  ba- 
nished from  the  city.  Michael  Servetus,  a  Spanish  physician, 
who  had  written  against  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  came  to 
Geneva  in  1553.  Calvin  caused  him  to  be  apprehended  and 
brought  before  the  Senate.  Being  condemned  as  a  heretic,  Ser- 
vetus appealed  to  the  four  Swiss  churches.  They  approved  of  the 
sentence  and  he  was  burnt  Oct.  27.  Calvin  wished  to  have  the 
mode  of  his  execution  changed,  but  he  thought  the  sentence 
should  be  capital.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  age  that  erroneous 
religious  principles  should  be  capitally  punished  by  the  civil  ma- 
gistrate. A  miserable  w^ay  of  opposing  and  subduing  error. 
The  severity  of  Calvin's  doctrine  and  discipline  (for  he  not  only 
excommunicated  all  the  flagitious  from  the  church,  but  even  had 
them  punished  by  the  magistrate  and  banished  from  the  city) 
roused  the  resentment  and  malignity  of  the  libertines  of  Geneva 
who  gave  him  perpetual  trouble. 

Calvin  and  Beza  differed  some  on  the  divine  decrees  rela- 
ting to  the  fall  of  man.  The  former  held  that  God  permitted  the 
first  man  to  fall  into  transgression  without  absolutely  predeter- 
mining his  fall ;  the  latter,  that  God  decreed  that  Adam  should 
fall,  in  order  that  God  shguid  glorify  hj^  justice  sih^  mercy  in  th^ 


Chap.  16.  stnod  op  dort.  283 

destruction  of  some  and  salvation  of  others.     Two  parties  were 
formed  called  Sublapsarians  and  Supralapsarians. 

Wherever  the  Cathohcs  could  reach  them,  they  caused  the 
Reformed  to  drink  to  the  dregs  the  cup  of  bitterness.  The 
awful  sufferings  of  the  Huguenots  in  France  have  passed  be- 
fore us.  Near  800  000  were  destroyed  in  about  30  years  in 
that  kingdom.  By  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantez  about 
60,000  were  driven  into  exile.  Some  fled  to  Holland,  where 
they  erected  churches  and  enjoyed  religious  liberty.  Among 
these  were  Dumont,  Dubosc,  and  the  eloquent  Saurin.* 

The  most  horrid  scenes  of  violence  and  bloodshed  were  ex- 
hibited from  1660  to  1690  among  the  Waldenses,  whom  the 
Papists  persecuted  with  relentless  fury. 

The  churches  in  Great  Britain,  as  we  shall  see  in  subsequent 
chapters,  suffered  both  from  internal  commotion  and  the  fire  of 
Papal  persecution. 

The  church  of  the  Palatinate  passed  under  a  Roman  Catholic 
prince  and  was  almost  extinguished. 

At  the  opening  of  the  17th  century  the  Reformed  churches 
were  distracted  by  the  Arminian  schism.  This  originated  with 
James  Arminius,  professor  of  divinity  at  Ley  den,  who  rejected 
the  whole  of  Calvin's  system  relating  to  predestination  and  grace. 
He  was  warmly  upheld  and  applauded  in  his  views  by  many  men 
of  learning  and  power  in  Holland.  He  met  however  with  warm  op- 
position, especially  from  Gomer  his  colleague.  After  Iiis  death  in 
1609,  the  controversy  became  general,  and  so  violent  were  the 
debates,  such  the  tumults  and  broils,  that  the  magistrates  inter- 
fered, and  the  states  general  convened  a  general  synod  at  Dorl 
in  1618,  to  consider  and  decide  the  whole  controversy. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  learned  and  important  councils  ever 
assembled.  It  was  composed  of  the  most  able  divines  of  Holland, 
England,  Scotland,  Switzerland,  Bremen,  Hessia  and  the  Pala- 
tinate. At  the  opening  of  the  Synod,  the  Arminians  demanded 
the  liberty  of  disproving  the  sentiments  of  Calvin,  especially 
upon  reprobation,  but  the  synod  forbade  them  and  required 
them  first  to  prove  their  own  sentiments.  This  they  refused  to 
do  ;  and,  for  their  refusal,  were  banished  from  the  Assembly. 
Their  system  was  then  examined  and  condemned.  The  Armi^« 
nians  were  driven  from  their  churches  and  country. 

♦  Saurinwas  born  at  Nismes,  1677.  He  left  France  on  the  revocation  of  the 
edict  of  Nantez  and  went  to  Geneva.  There  be  studied  with  ^reat  assiduity  and 
then  pursued  for  a  little  time  a  military  life.  Relinquishing  this,  he  entered  the 
ministry,  and  in  1705  settled  at  the  Hague.  There  he  preached  his  eloquent 
sermons  to  crowded  and  briiliiUit  audjencva  with  ast^jiishinj  efiect.  He  diefl 
Dec.  Sa,  1730. 


284  CALVINISTIC  OR  REFORMED.  PeRIOD  IIL 

But  the  decisions  of  the  Synod  were  not  popular,  and  operated 
to  the  detriment  of  Calvinism.  Many  of  the  Arminians  were 
men  of  learning  and  eloquence,  and  correct  lives,  whose  suffer- 
ings excited  the  sympathy  of  the  pubhc.  The  authority  of  the 
synod  was  not  universally  acknowledged  among  the  Dutch.  The 
provinces  of  Friesland,  Zealand,  Utrecht,  Guelderland,  and  Gro- 
ningen,  rejected  its  decisions.  England  threw  off  the  doctrines 
of  Calvin,  and  embraced  the  doctrines  of  Arminius.  The 
French  Protestants  finding  the  decisions  of  the  Synod  extremely 
offensive  to  the  CathoUcs,  from  whom  they  were  suffering  the 
greatest  indignities,  were  afraid  publicly  to  approve  of  them, 
lest  they  should  bring  upon  themselves  new  sufferings,  and  gra- 
dually relaxed  from  the  Gomarists. 

The  doctors  of  Saumur  and  Sedan  advanced  sentiments  con- 
formable to  the  Lutherans.  John  Cameron  and  Moses  Amy- 
raut  preached  the  doctrine  of  universal  redemption.  De  La- 
Place  came  forward  with  a  denial  of  the  imputation  of  Adam's 
sin.  Claude,  Pajon,  and  Papin  exalted  the  powers  of  human 
nature,  rendering  unnecessary  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  By  these  and  other  bold  spirits,  they  were  led  in  the 
course  of  this  century  to  depart  far  from  the  sentiments  of  Cal- 
vin, and  before  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantcz  the  body  of 
French  Protestants  had  become  Arminians. 

The  Swiss  churches  were  seriously  affected  by  the  relaxed 
doctrines  of  the  French.  The  academy  at  Geneva  retained  its 
high  character  for  near  half  a  century,  and  was  the  resort  of  stu- 
dents from  all  parts  of  Europe  ;  and  the  churches  long  remained 
firm  in  the  faith  of  the  distinguished  man  who  had  so  highly  ele- 
vated them.  But  some  of  the  pastors  imbibed  tlie  principles  of 
Amyraut  and  De  La  Place,  and  Geneva  was  numbered  among 
the  Arminians.  Alarmed  at  the  progress  of  the  new  opinions, 
an  assembly  of  divines  appointed  John  Henry  Heidegger,  profes- 
sor of  divinity  at  Zurich  in  1675,  to  construct  a  system  of  doc- 
trine, and  to  add  to  it  the  other  confessions  of  the  Helvetic 
church.  The  whole  was  called  the  Form  of  Coivcoep.  But  it 
occasioned  great  tumult  for  in  the  next  century  it  was  imposed 
by  the  magistrates  of  Berne  upon  all  professors  and  pastors  as  a 
rule  of  faith,  and  violently  resisted,  until  it  was  abrogated.  Since 
1705,  candidates  for  the  ministry  have  been  admitted  upon  a  ge- 
neral declaration  of  faith  in  the  Scriptures. 

The  Dutch  Calvinists  flattered  themselves  tliat  they  should 
have  much  peace  and  prosperity  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Ar- 
minians, but  they  found  themselves  involved  in  new  troubles,  not 
only  with  tliem  upon  theii:  restoratign,  but  from  intestine  dispute?? 


Chap.  16.  cocceians  and  voetians.  285 

upon  various  points  of  doctrine  and  practice,  which,  for  a  whole 
century,  continued  to  distract  the  United  Provinces.  The  most 
important  factions  were  the  Cocceians  and  the  Voetians.  John 
Cocceius,  professor  of  divinity  in  the  university  of  Ley  den,  neg- 
lecting the  natural  and  simple  interpretation  of  Calvin,  was  dis- 
posed to  understand  the  words  and  phrases  of  Scripture  in  every 
sense  of  which  they  are  susceptible,  and  viewed  the  whole  of  the 
Old  Testament  as  a  mirror,  in  which  may  clearly  be  seen  the 
New  Testament  dispensation  ;  and  every  tiling  relating  to  Christ 
and  his  apostles  as  types  or  images  of  future  events.  He  consi- 
dered the  ten  commandments  not  as  a  rule  of  obedience,  but  as 
a  representation  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  With  him  united 
Des  Cartes,  the  most  famous  philosopher  of  that  period  ;  whose 
leading  principles  were,  that  the  man  who  would  be  a  philo- 
sopher must  begin  his  inquiries  by  doubting  all  things,  even 
the  existence  of  God  ;  that  the  nature  or  essence  of  spirit,  and 
even  of  God  himself,  consists  in  thought ;  that  space  has  no  real 
existence,  is  no  more  than  the  creature  of  fancy,  and  that  conse- 
quently matter  is  without  bounds.  The  Cocceians  and  Carte- 
sians united  for  the  purpose  of  delivering  the  theology  of  the  day 
from  the  endless  divisions  and  subdivisions  of  the  peripatetical 
philosophy. 

Their  attempts  met  with  opposition  in  1639  from  Voet,  a  the- 
ological instructor  at  Utrecht.  He  was  supported  by  Rivet, 
Des  Marets,  Maestricht,  and  the  greatest  part  of  the  Dutch  cler- 
gy, who  resolved  in  a  public  assembly  to  admit  no  one  into  the 
ministry  who  favoured  the  Cartesian  philosophy.  The  states  of 
Holland  also  issued  an  edict,  forbidding  the  professors  to  teach 
it  in  the  public  schools.  But  opposition  rather  aided  than  re- 
tarded the  Cocceians  and  Cartesians.  The  contests  between 
the  contending  parties  were  very  violent  for  many  years. 

Other  controversies  arose  out  of  attempts  to  simplify  rehgion 
by  the  Cartesian  philosophy,  which  for  years  agitated  the  United 
Provinces  and  Germany.  At  one  time  the  churches  were  rent 
by  a  dispute  on  the  authority  of  reason  in  matters  of  religion. 
At  another  on  the  proper  generation  of  the  Son  of  God,  on  di- 
vine decrees,  original  sin,  and  the  satisfaction  of  Christ.  Be- 
witched by  the  Cartesian  philosophy,  Balthazar  Becher-  minister 
of  Amsterdam,  got  persuaded  that  mind  could  not  act  upon  mat- 
ter, unless  united  with  it  as  was  the  soul  to  the  body,  and  denied 
the  scriptural  account  of  the  influence  of  the  devil  over  mankind, 
and  pubUshed  in  1691  a  work  of  immense  labour,  entitled  The 
World  Bewitcliedj  which  tor  a  time  encountered  much  opposi- 
tion.   There  arose  also  about  the  same  time  the  Vcrschorists 


286  CALVINISTIC  OR  REFORMED.         PeRIOD  III, 

and  the  Hattemists,  who  perverted  the  doctrme  of  divine  de- 
crees to  fatal  necessity. 

The  Cartesian  philosophy  gave  place  to  the  Newtonian,  and 
with  it  gradually  died  many  of  these  contentions.  Few  new  sub- 
jects of  controversy  engrossed  the  attention  of  the  Dutch  or 
Swiss  churches  in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  Dutch  enjoyed 
for  some  time  after  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantez,  the 
labours  of  many  able  French  divines.  But  these  churches  gra- 
dually dechned,  became  lukewarm,  and  suffered  with  the  rest  of 
continental  Europe  exceedingly,  from  French  infidelity,  and  the 
horrid  wars  of  revolutionary  France.  There  is  in  them,  how- 
ever, now  much  of  the  life  and  power  of  religion. 

Many  of  the  Calvinistic  churches  in  Germany  have  fallen  a 
prey  to  Liberahsm  ;  though  some  few  remain  steadfast,  and 
Storr  and  others  have  so  nobly  vindicated  their  faith  that  their 
prospects  are  brightening.  In  some  of  the  Swiss  cantons  a 
precious  seed  has  remamed  to  serve  the  Lord,  but  long  since 
the  Genevan  churches  degenerated  from  Calvinism  to  Arminian- 
ism,  and  through  the  poisonous  infection  of  Rousseau  and  Vol- 
taire have  now  descended  to  the  lowest  degrees  of  Socinianism. 
Recent  attempts  to  preach  the  doctrines  of  Calvin  have  met 
there  with  bitter  persecution.  The  efforts  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  have  been  felt  throughout  Switzerland 
and  Germany.  In  Prussia  the  prospect  is  great  that  not  a 
child  will  hereafter  grow  up  in  ignorance  of  the  scriptures. 
The  Catholics  are  active  to  regain  their  former  possessions,  and 
their  activity  has  compelled  the  Reformed  and  Lutherans  to  union. 
The  age  of  frivolity  and  arrogant  philosophy  seems  fast  passing 
away.  The  public  mind  is  turning  rapidly,  in  the  middle  and 
north  of  Europe  to  serious  subjects — to  something  which  will  sa- 
tisfy conscience  and  bring  peace  and  consolation  to  ruined 
man. 

The  Protestants  which  have  remained  in  France,  since  the  re- 
vocation of  the  edict  of  Nantez  have  lived  in  great  seclusion.  Their 
worship  was  interdicted  by  Lewis  XIV ;  their  marriages  were  de- 
clared illegal,  and  oppression  in  every  form  laid  them  in  the 
dust.  From  his  death  to  the  revolution  they  met  with  milder 
treatment.  Tlien  every  man  was  left  to  his  own  religion. 
They  now  number  about  a  milhon  and  a  half.  For  the  last 
four  years  they  have  been  rapidly  increasing,  especially  in  the 
soutli  of  France.  Near  Lyons  a  number  of  villages  have  be- 
come Protestant,  and  some  hundreds  have  professed  to  be  the 
subjects  of  renewing  grace,     The  constitution  of  the  Reformed 


Chap.  16.        ^calvinistic  or  reformed.  287 

church  is  presbyterian.     It  is  divided  into  89  consistories.    The 
Lutherans  are  chiefly  in  the  north  of  France. 

Where  there  is  a  population  of  a  thousand,  the  pastors  are 
supported  by  government  :  295  Calvinistic  and  220  Lutheran 
pastors  are  now  thus  partially  paid.  Many  others  there  are, 
who  receive  no  pay  from  this  source,  because  the  population  is 
insufficient.  A  handsome  sum  has  recently  been  granted  by 
government  for  their  colleges  and  the  repair  of  churches  : 
6000  members  form  a  consistorial  church. 

A  warm  missionary  spirit,  has  lately  been  excited  among 
them.  The  monthly  concert  is  extensively  observed,  and 
Sabbath  schools  have  been  established.  A  Bible,  Tract  and 
Missionary  society,  have  been  formed  at  Paris.  The  Count 
Ver  Huel,  a  peer  of  France,  and  Vice  Admiral,  is  their  patron. 

A  remnant  of  the  Waldenses,  is  to  be  found  in  the  vallies  of 
Piedmont.  They  remain  truly  Protestant,  but  they  are  ex- 
ceedingly oppressed  by  the  Catholics,  being  excluded  from  the 
military  and  civil  employments,  and  the  learned  professions, 
and  compelled  to  observe  the  festivals  of  the  papists,  and  to 
abstain  from  work  on  the  festival  days.  They  number  13 
parishes,  comprising  13  pastors,  and  a  population  of  10,000. 
Among  them  are  not  more  than  1480  Catholics. 

It  is  remarkable  and  favourable,  that,  though  the  majority 
of  the  teachers  and  people  in  the  reformed  churches  have  de- 
parted far  from  their  original  standards  of  faith,  yet  those 
standards — the  Helvetic  Confession,  the  Heidelberg  Catechism, 
the  decisions  of  the  Synod  of  Dort,  and  the  thirty-nine  arti- 
cles, remain  unaltered  as  their  professed  creeds. 

The  Calvinists  have  held  the  first  rank  in  sacred  hterature. 
The  Genevan  Academy,  sent  out  a  large  number  of  able  theo- 
logians. The  greatness  of  Calvin  has  ever  been  felt  and 
acknowledged  by  all  his  foes.  Beza,  as  a  scholar,  was  not 
much  his  inferior.  Others  who  associated  with  them  and  suc- 
ceeded them,  shone  with  distinguished  brightness — Oecolam- 
padius,  Bullinger,  Farel,  Viret,  Hospinion,  in  the  sixteenth, 
and  the  two  Buxtorfs  and  Turretin,  in  Switzerland  ;  Gomer, 
Cocceius,  Voet,  Spanheim,  De  Maestricht,  in  Holland  ;  Du 
Moullin,  Daille,  Claude,  Basnage,  Saurin,  in  France,  in  the 
seventeenth  century  ;  besides  those  in  England,  Scotland  and 
America,  who  will  pass  before  us  in  the  history  of  those 
churches. 

In  holiness,  spirituality,  purity  of  morals,  zeal  in  the  cause 
of  Christ  and  salvation  of  men,  the  Calvinists  have  been  sur» 
passed  by  none. 


288  PROTESTANT  OR  RErORMiiD  CHURCHES.    pERIOD  III, 


ARMINIANS. 

The  Arminians  were  distinguished  by  their  peculiar  views 
vof  the  five  points  of  Calvinism.  In  relation  to  these,  they  be- 
lieved, 

I.  That  God,  from  eternity,  determined  to  bestow  salvation 
on  those  who,  he  foresaw,  would  persevere  unto  the  end,  and 
to  inflict  everlasting  punishment  on  those  who  should  continue 
in  their  unbelief,  and  resist  his  divine  succours  ;  so  that  elec- 
tion and  reprobation  are  conditional. 

II.  That  Jesus  Christ,  by  his  sufferings  and  death,  made  an 
atonement  for  the  sins  of  ail  mankind,  and  of  every  individual 
in  particular ;  that,  however,  none  but  those  who  believe  in 
him,  can  be  partakers  of  his  benefits. 

III.  That  mankind  are  not  totally  depraved,  and  that  de- 
pravity does  not  come  upon  them,  by  virtue  of  Adam's  being 
their  federal  head. 

IV.  That  the  grace  of  God,  which  converts  men,  is  not  ir-. 
resistible. 

V.  That  those  who  are  united  to  Christ  by  faith,  may  fall 
from  a  state  of  grace,  and  finally  perish. 

Arminius  was  a  pupil  of  Calvin,  and  for  many  years  preach- 
ed his  sentiments.  He  did  not  avow  this  creed  until  he 
had  attained  to  the  professorship  of  divinity  at  Leyden.  He  died 
in  1609,  before  it  had  much  engaged  the  attention  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  ; — leaving  a  great  reputation  among  his  followers 
for  candour,  penetration  and  piety. 

In  consequence  of  the  decision  of  the  synod  of  Dort  and  the 
violent  opposition  of  Maurice,  prince  of  Holland,  the  Arminians 
were  treated  with  great  severity.  Barneveldt,  their  most  distin- 
guished civilian,  was  beheaded  on  a  scaffold.  Grotius,  one  of 
the  most  learned  men  in  Europe,  who  advocated  their  system, 
was  condemned  to  perpetual  imprisonment ;  but  he  fled  and 
found  refuge  in  France.  Many  retired  to  Antwerp.  A  colony 
accepted  an  invitation  of  Frederic,  duke  of  Holstein  and  set- 
tled in  his  dominions  and  built  a  town  which  they  called  Freder- 
icstadt.  Political  artifice  was  at  the  basis  of  all  this  rehgious 
persecution. 

After  the  death  of  prince  Maurice,  in  1625,  the  Arminians 
were  recalled  from  exile,  and  treated  with  great  lenity  and 
kindness.  They  erected  churches,  and  founded  a  College  at 
Amsterdam.  Episcopius,  their  chief  advocate,  was  appointed 
their  first  theological  professor.  They  soon  numbered  in  the 
United  Provinces,  34  congregations,  and  84  pastors.  The  church 


Chap.  17.      church  of  England.  289 

of  England  embraced  their  sentiments,  through  the  influence  of 
archbishop  Laud,  so  that  they  number  in  their  train  some  of 
her  most  distinguished  prelates.  The  Wesleyan  Methodists 
also  have  received  their  system,  and  many  divmes  in  the  con- 
gregational churches  in  New  England.  On  the  continent  of 
Europe  they  have  been  very  numerous.  They  have  every 
wher*^  given  themselves  much  liberty  as  to  doctrinal  belief; 
have  been  satisfied  with  a  confession  of  faith  in  the  Scriptures  as 
the  word  of  God,  and  a  moral  life  ;  many  of  them  have  viewed 
regeneration  as  a  progressive  work, — instantaneous  conversion, 
and  revivals  as  fanatical  and  the  supper  as  a  converting 
ordinance  to  which  all  are  to  be  admitted,  who  possess  a  good 
moral  character. 

Some  of  their  principal  writers  have  been  Arminius,  Episco- 
pius  Vorstius,  Grotius,  Limborch,  Le  Clerc,  Wetstein,  Whitby, 
Taylor,  Fletcher.  Le  Clerc  wrote  a  commentary  on  the  Bible 
— ^Wetstein  on  the  New  Testament. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

Imperfect  character  of  the  Reformation  in  England.  Cranmer 
made  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  Bible  translated  and  given 
'  to  the  people.  Monasteries  suppressed.  Relics  ridiculed.  Ca- 
tholic Rebellion.  Henry  Fill,  excommunicated.  His  death. 
Excellent  reign  of  Edward  VI.  Liturgy  and  Articles  intro- 
duced. Reign  of  Mary.  Popish  persecution.  J[Iartyrdom 
of  John  Rodger s,  Saunders,  Hooper,  Taylor,  Bradford,  Rid- 
ley and  Latimer.  Cranmer.  Darkness  and  distress  of  the 
period.  Death  of  Mary  and  accession  of  Elizabeth.  Resto- 
ration of  the  Protestants.     Establishment  of  the  English  Church. 

The  reformation  in  England,  being  little  besides  a  transfer  of 
supreme  4)ower  from  the  pope  to  the  King,  left  the  nation  still 
groaning  under  the  monstrous  corruptions  of  popery ;  so  that 
the  history  of  this  church  presents  a  long  and  hard  struggle  be- 
tween such  as  wished  for  a  thorough  reform,  and  the  friends  of 
the  Papacy.  Henry  VIII.  was  a  monarch  of  violent  passions. 
He  had  broken  from  the  pope ;  but  he  was  determined  to  be 
pope  in  his  own  dominions,  and,  whether  right  or  wrong,  would 
be  obeyed.  Fortunately,  for  the  cause  of  truth,  he  elevated  to 
the  See  of  Canterbury  Thomas  Cranmer ;  a  man  of  great  learn- 
ing and  sound  judgment,  of  a  calm  temper  and  an  honest  heart ; 


290  CHUUCH    OF    ENGLAND.  PeRIOD    III. 

whose  mind  rapidly  opened  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  and 
which,  for  many  years,  he  most  ably  defended. 

The  language  of  Wickliff's  version  of  the  New  Testament, 
which  had  been  made  one  hundred  and  fitty  years  antecedent 
to  this  period,  had  become  obsolete.  ;  and  it  was  moreover  a  pro- 
hibited book,  so  that  the  nation  were  really  without  the  Scrip- 
tures. But  one  William  Tyndall,  impressed  with  the  immense 
importance  of  a  free  circulation  of  the  Bible,  in  the  language  of 
the  day.  retired,  for  security,  to  the  continent,  where  he  trans- 
lated the  New  Testament  into  English.  An  edition  was  printed 
at  Antwerp,  with  short  comments,  ;ind  sent  to  England,  for  dis- 
tribution, in  1526.*  But  its  circulation  was  violently  opposed 
by  the  Papists,  and  prohibited  by  the  bishops  as  infected  with 
heresy  ;  and  Tonstel  bishop  of  Lon«lon,  had  the  edition  privately 
purchased  and  publicly  burnt  at  Cheapside.  This  event  was 
far  from  being  unfavourable;  for  with  the  money  for  which  Tyn- 
dall sold  his  books,  he  was  enabled  to  print  in  1534  a  more  cor- 
rect version;  and  the  very  act  of  contlagration,  excited  great 
displeasure  and  a  spirit  for  reading  the  Scriptures,  which  nothing 
could  suppress.  Many  who  dispersed  this  hated  book,  and 
many  who  preached  and  avowed  its  doctrines,  were  brought 
before  the  bishop's  courts  and  condemned  to  the  flames.  Tyn- 
dall himself  was  villanously  betrayed  at  Brussels ;  and  first 
strangled  at  the  stake  and  then  burnt.  He  expired,  praying 
"  Lord,  open  the  King  of  England's  eyes." 

Cranmer,  assisted  by  the  new  queen,  Ann  Boleyn,  endea- 
voured to  stop  the  persecutions  in  England  ;  but  the  king  had 
written  in  defence  of  the  Romish  faith,  and  had  too  much  pride 
to  renounce  his  opinions,  and  was  violently  pressed  to  what  he 
still  believed  to  be  duty,  by  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  Gardiner 
bishop  of  Winchester,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  Clergy. 

Convinced  that  there  could  be  no  reformation  without  the 
Scriptures,  Cranmer  prevailed  upon  the  king,  in  1534,  to  order 
a  translation  of  the  Bible  by  some  learned  men,  which  should  be 
printed  and  put  into  the  hands  of  the  people.     It  was  a  great 

*  This  was  the  first  time  the  Scriptures  were  ever  printed  in  English.  "  Car- 
dinal Wolsey  declaimed  against  the  art  of  printing  as  that  which  would  take 
down  the  hnnour  and  profit  of  the  priesthood  by  making  the  people  as  wise  as 
they." — Baxter. 

When  tho  Greek  and  Hebrew  originals  were  fust  printed,  the  monks  declared 
from  the  pulpits  (such  was  the  gross  ignorance  of  the  age,)  "  that  there  was  a 
new  language  discovered,  called  Greek,  of  which  peoj)Ie  should  beware,  since 
it  produced  all  heresies,  that  in  this  language  was  come  forth  a  book  called  the 
New-Testament,  which  was  now  in  every  body's  hands,  and  which  was  full  of 
thorns  and  briers.  And  there  had  also  now  another  language  started  up,  which 
t  hey  called  Hebrew,  and  that  thev  who  learned  it  w«^re  termed.  Hebrews." 


GhAP.  17.        TYNDALl's   AND     CRANMER's   BIBLE.  291 

point  gained.  The  work  was  committed  to  nine  eminent  scho- 
lars ;  and,  when  finished,  was  sent  to  Paris  to  be  printed.  The 
next  year,  Miles  Coverdale,  an  associate  of  Tyndall,  printed  at 
Zurich,  the  whole  Bible  in  English ;  which  immediately  received 
the  royal  sanction,  and  was  placed,  by  the  king's  order,  in  every 
parish  church  in  the  kingdom.  Cranmer's  Bible  was  no  sooner 
printed,  than  it  was  seized  by  the  mquisitors  and  committed  to 
the  flames.  The  printers  fled  to  London  with  the  presses  and 
a  few  copies  that  were  saved,  where  it  was  reprinted  and  offered 
by  royal  decree  for  sale  to  all  the  king's  subjects  But  so  small 
was  the  number  of  the  people  that  could  read,  that  the  edition 
of  only  600  copies  was  nut  wholly  sold  otf  in  three  years. 

The  royal  decree  exceodnyily  j>;rieved  th(-  papnl  clergcy  ;  but 
the  people  received  the  Bible  with  great  joy.  Multitudes  con- 
tinually flocked  to  the  churches  to  hear  portions  of  the  scrip- 
tures tVom  those  who  could  read.*  Cranmer's  heart  was  filled 
with  gladness  at  this  "  day  of  retiarniation,  which  he  concluded 
was  now  risen  in  England  since  the  light  of  God's  word  did 
ehine  over  it,  without  a  cloud." 

The  next  thing  to  which  Cranmer  directed  his  attention, 
was  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries.  These  gave  law  to, 
the  learning  and  religion  of  the  nation  ;  and  while  they  re- 
mained, ignorance  nd  superstition  would  brood  over  the  land. 
Henry  at  on^e  coincided  with  the  views  of  Cranmer,  as  the 
monks  were  all  his  enemies,  and  would  not  acknowledge  his 
8uj)remacy,  and  he  could  fill  his  empty  coffers  from  their  vast 
funds.  In  1535,  commenced  their  visitation  ;  the  object  of 
which,  was  to  expose  their  iniquities.  They  were  required  to 
acknowledge  the  King's  supremacy,  and  to  pursue  a  holy  course. 
In  both  they  were  condemned.  Indeed  their  vices  are  not  to 
be  named.  .375  of  the  lesser  convpnts  were  dissolved.  Henry 
acquired   10,000/.  in  plate  and  moveables,  and  a  clear  yearly 

*  From  one  William  Maldon,  we  have  this  lively  picture  of  thp  times.  "  He 
mentions  that  when  the  Kina:  had  allowed  the  Bible  to  be  set  forth  to  be  read  in 
the  churches,  immediately  several  poor  men  in  the  town  of  Chelmsford,  in 
Essfx,  where  his  father  lived,  bousrht  the  New  Testament  ;  and  on  Sundays, 
sat  reading  It  in  the  lower  end  of  the  church.  Many  would  flock  about  them  to 
hear  their  reading;  and  he,  among  the  rest,  being  then  but  fifteen  years  old, 
came  every  Sunday  to  hear  the  clad  and  sweet  tidings  of  the  Gospel.  But  his 
father,  observing  it  once,  angrily  fetched  him  away,  and  would  have  him  say  the 
Latin  matins  with  him,  which  grieved  him  much.  And  as  he  returned  at  other 
times  to  hear  the  scriptures  read,  his  father  still  would  fetch  him  away.  This 
put  him  upon  the  thought  of  learning  to  read  Knglish,  that  he  might  read  the 
New  Testament  himself,  which,  when  he  had  by  diligence  effected,  he  and  his 
father's  apprentice  bought  a  New  Testament,  joining  their  stocks  together,  and 
to  conceal  it,  laid  it  under  the  bed  of  straw,  and  read  it  at  convenient  times."— 
[Townley.] 


I 


292  CHURCH    OF  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  UL 

revenue  of  30,000?.  ;  above  10,000  persons  were  cast  upon 
the  world.  Pleased  with  the  result,  the  profligate  monarch 
proceeded  to  la^  hands  on  the  large  religious  hous^es  ;  the  peo- 
ple being  quieted  with  the  declaration,  that  ^hey  would  never 
again  be  burdened  with  taxes,  for  the  revenue  obtained  would 
support  40  earls,  60  barons,  8000  knights  and  40.000  soldiers  : 
make  provision  for  the  poor,  and  support  the  prt  actiers  of  the 
Gospel.  All  this  might  have  been  done,  so  unniensel}'  rich  had 
the  monks  become,  but  Henry  squandered  the  money  among 
his  favourites. 

In  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries,  their  relics  were  all 
brought  forth,  and  made  the  objects  of  ridicule  and  scorn. 
Abominable  frauds  were  exposed.  A  vial  which  was  said  to 
contain  our  Saviour's  blood,  which  could  be  seen  only  by  the 
righteous,  and  which  had  long  been  venerated,  was  exhibited 
and  found  to  be  thick  and  opaque  on  the  side  held  to  sinners, 
and  transparent  on  the  opposite.  An  image,  which  had  been 
a  favourite  object  of  pilgrimage,  because  it  moved  its  head, 
hands  and  feet,  was  taken  to  pieces  and  its  mechanism  was 
exposed  to  the  people  in  church,  by  the  bishop  of  Rochester. 
The  shrine  of  Becket  was  the  most  profitable  in  England.  It 
received  annually  over  1000/.,  an  immense  sum  in  that  age. 
Henry  unsainted  and  unshrined  him,  and  ordered  his  name  to 
be  struck  from  the  kalender,  and  his  bones  to  be  burnt. 

The  pope  could  not  now  restrain  his  anger.  Henry  was 
excommunicaled,  and  his  kingdom  laid  under  an  interdict  ;  but 
the  days  ot  John  were  passed  away.  Henry  regarded  it  as 
the  idle  wind. 

A  rebellion  broke  out  among  the  Papists  in  England.  An 
hundred  thousand  collected  in  Yorkshire,  under  one  Aske,  and 
called  their  march  the  Pilgrimage  of  grace.  This  encouraged 
risings  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  But  they  were  sup- 
pressed by  the  royal  armies. 

The  King  hnd  filled  his  coffers  by  exterminating  monasteries, 
relics  and  im;!ges, — but  he  adhered  rigorously  to  transubstan- 
tiation,  and  committed  to  the  flames  such  as  denied  it.  In  this 
Cranmer,  who  had  not  as  yet  gained  light,  coincided  with  him. 
Baffin  1539,  to  his  great  grief,  six  popish  articles  establishing 
transubstantiatson,  purgatory,  the  celibacy  of  priests  and  auri- 
cular confession  were  enacted  in  parliament,  and  the  papal 
cause  gained  a  temporary  triumph.  Five  hundred  persons 
were  committed  to  prison,  and  numbers  to  the  flames.  Cran- 
mer came  near  falling  a  sacrifice.  The  King  suffered  him  to 
he  summoned  before  the  council  to  be  tried  for  his  life,  but  he 


Chap.  17.  edward  vi.  293 

had  a  secret  aflfection  for  him,  and  he  gave  him  his  sealed  ring 
to  present  to  them,  should  they  go  to  extremities.  This  alone 
saved  him. 

At  this  critical  moment,  Henry  died,  A.  D.  1547,  cursed 
by  the  Papists  and  abhorred  by  the  Protestants.  He  was  sue* 
ceeded  by  Edward  VI.  ;  a  prince  only  nine  years  of  age, 
but  remarkably  mature,  and  eminently  devoted  to  the  service 
of  God,  and  the  cause  of  the  reformation.  He  lived  but  six 
years  from  this  time  ;  but  he  did  every  thing  that  he  was  able 
to  do  in  so  short  a  period,  for  the  deliverance  of  his  domin- 
ions from  the  corruptions  of  popery,  and  to  bring  his  subjects  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  His  religious  principles  were 
calvinistic.  Geneva  was  acknowledjjed  as  a  sister  church, 
but  he  adhered  to  the  episcopal  form  which  had  been  estab- 
lished. He  had  a  liturgy  prepared  for  the  people,  that  pray- 
ers to  the  saints,  and  lying  legend*,  might  cease  ;  auticles  of 
religion  framed,  corresponding  to  those  of  Calvin  ;  all  laws 
and  canons  requiring  celibacy  in  the  clergy,  repealed  ;  auricu- 
lar confession  abolished  ;  and  he  invited  eminent  reformers 
from  the  continent,  particularly  Martyr,  Bucer,  Fagius  and 
Ochinus,  to  reside  in  his  dominions,  that  they  might  aid  in  en- 
lightening  his  people.  Farther  he  would  have  proceeded  if 
he  could.  In  his  diary,  he  laments  "  that  he  could  not  restore 
the  primitive  discipline  according  to  his  heart's  desire,  be- 
cause several  of  the  bishops  were  unwilling  to  it." 

In  his  reign,  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation  was  fully 
discussed  and  renounced,  by  Cranmer,  Ridley  and  Latimer, 
the  three  principle  reformers.  But  Cranmer  still  thought  it 
right  to  burn  for  heretical  opinions,  and  had  Joan  of  Kent,  a 
fanatical  anabaptist,  brought  to  the  flames,  though  Edward 
signed  the  commission  with  tears,  saying  that  the  archbishop 
must  answer  for  it.  Van  Paris,  a  Dutchman,  was  afterwards 
burnt  for  being  an  Arian. 

The  reformers  made  merciless  destruction  of  the  wealth  of 
churches  and  monasteries,  and  in  many  cases,  exceedingly  en- 
riched themselves.  The  Catholics  rose  in  many  parts  of  the 
country,  and  threatened  the  entire  subversion  of  the  govern- 
ment, but  were  subdued.  They  had  a  warm  friend  in  Mary, 
the  sister  of  the  king,  who  contrived  to  have  mass  in  her 
house,  and  was  a  rallying  point  to  all  who  were  friendly  to  the 
old  religion. 

This  violent  Catholic  succeeded  her  brother.  It  was  a  mys- 
terious providence.  Edward  had  willed  the  crown  to  the  la- 
dy Jane  Grey,  a  Protestant ;  but  Mary  the  lawful  heir,  was 

25* 


294  CHURCH    OP   ENGLAND.  PeRIOD   IIL 

immediately  received  by  the  people.  Her  mind  was  supersti^ 
tious  and  melancholy.  She  had  always  hated  the  reformed  re- 
ligion, and  she  was  resolved  to  bring  the  nation  back  to  the 
church  of  Rome. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1553,  king  Edward  was  buried- 
Cranraer  read  the  protestant  service ;  but  he  felt  it  to  be  the 
burial  of  the  reformation.  The  Catholics  throughout  the 
kingdom,  set  up  their  forms  of  worship,  without  waiting  for  a 
repeal  of  the  laws  of  king  Edward.  Bonner,  Gardiner  and 
others,  who  had  formerly  been  removed  from  the  bishoprics, 
were  restored.  All  preaching  was  prohibited,  except  such  as 
received  the  queen's  license.  The  reformers  were  driven 
with  great  insolence,  from  their  pulpits.  All  the  marriages  of 
the  clergy  were  declared  null,  and  their  children  were  pro- 
nounced illegitimate.  Gardiner,  bishop  of  Winchester,  a  man 
who  would  have  held  the  first  rank  among  the  Spanish  inquisi- 
tors, was  made  lord  chancellor.  All  the  laws  of  king  Edward, 
relating  to  religion,  were  repealed  ;  and  the  ancient  service 
was  re-established.  The  queen  expressed  her  desire  to  the 
pope,  that  England  might  again  be  received  as  a  faithful  daugh- 
ter of  the  church,  and  that  Cardinal  Pool  might  be  sent  from 
Rome  with  legatine  power. 

These  various  proceedings  taught  the  reformers  that  they 
had  nothing  to  expect  but  death,  in  its  most  horrid  forms.  Ma- 
ny of  them  fled  into  Scotland,  Switzerland  and  Germany. 
Cranmer  was  advised  to  escape,  as  it  was  supposed  that  he  would 
be  the  first  victim  ;  but  he  refused,  saying  it  ill  became  him  to 
quit  the  station  in  which  providence  had  placed  him.  At  an 
early  period,  he  and  Latimer,  were  sent  to  the  tower.  He 
was  greatly  beloved,  and  it  was  feared  by  many,  that  violence 
toward  him  would  arouse  the  people.  But  the  queen  and  his 
relentless  enemies,  were  bent  on  his  destruction.  Gardiner, 
however,  fearing  that  Pool  would  succeed  him  in  office,  pro- 
tracted that  event  as  long  as  possible. 

To  strengthen  herself,  Mary  united  in  marriage  with  Philip, 
F.on  of  the  emperor  Charles  V.,  sent  Elizabeth,  her  sister,  af- 
terwards queen,  to  prison,  and  brought  the  lady  Jane  Grey,  to 
the  block.  Jane  was  an  eminently  pious  vToman,  of  whom  the 
world  was  not  worthy.  She  rejoiced,  she  said,  '•  at  her  ap- 
proaching end,  since  nothing  could  be  to  her  more  welcome, 
than  to  be  delivered  from  that  valley  of  misery,  into  that  heav- 
enly throne  to  which  she  was  to  be  advanced."  She  repeated 
the  fifty-first  psalm,  laid  her  head  upon  the  block,  and  said> 
'■  Lord  Jesus,  into  thy  hand  I  commend  my  spirit." 

To  give  the  papal  cause  the  appearance  of  justice  and  mo' 


Chap.  17.       persecution  op  queen  mar y.  29^ 

deration,  a  public  disputation  was  held  at  Oxford,  in  the  spring 
of  1554,  between  the  leading  divines,  on  both  sides.  Three 
questions  were  discussed,  viz.,  whether  the  natural  body  of 
Christ  was  really  in  the  sacrament  ?  whether  any  other  sub- 
stance remained,  besides  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  ?  wheth- 
er, in  the  mass,  there  was  a  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  the 
dead  and  living  ?  Cranmer,  Ridley  and  Latimer,  spoke  for  the 
reformed,  with  great  boldness  and  power.  But  they  were  de- 
clared vanquished,  required  to  subscribe  the  popish  faith,  and 
on  refusal,  were  pronounced  obstinate  heretics,  and  excluded 
from  the  church 

In  the  succeeding  summer,  the  bishops  performed  their  visi- 
tations, and  saw  that  the  catholic  religion  was  fully  establish- 
ed. Such  priests  as  conformed,  were  anointed  and  clothed 
with  priestly  vestments.  Above  twelve  thousand  who  refused, 
were  ejected,  and  the  most  eminent  were  imprisoned.  In  No- 
vember, sanguinary  laws  were  passed  in  parliament,  and  per- 
secution began. 

The  first  martyr  was  John  Rogers.  He  had  been  a  fellow 
labourer  of  Tyndal  and  Coverdale,  in  translating  the  Bible^ 
and  was  now  prebendary  of  St.  Paul.  He  had  a  wife  and  ten 
children  with  whom  he  wished  to  speak,  but  was  not  permit- 
ted. He  was  burned  at  Smithfield,  Feb.  4,  1655.  His  wife, 
with  her  ten  children,  one  hanging  at  the  breast,  was  a  spec- 
tator of  the  scene. 

The  next  was  Lawrence  Saunders.  He  was  burnt  at  Co- 
yentry.  He  embraced  the  stake,  exclaiming  "  welcome^ 
cross  of  Christ !  welcome,  everlasting  life  !"  The  third  was 
Hooper,  bishop  of  Gloucester,  the  most  laborious  and  popular 
preacher  of  the  day.  He  had  once  fled  from  the  persecution 
of  Henry,  to  Zurich,  but  returned  on  the  accession  of  Edward. 
He  had  there  imbibed  some  presbyterinn  principles,  and  re- 
fused to  be  consecrated  in  the  episcopal  vestments  ;  but  finally 
conformed.  When  he  left  Zurich,  be  anticipated  martyrdom. 
"The  last  news  of  all,"  said  he  to  his  friends,  "  I  shall  not  be 
able  to  write,  for  there  where  I  shall  take  most  pains,  there 
you  shall  hear  of  me  burned  to  ashes."  He  was  again  advised 
to  flee,  but  refused.  When  he  and  Rogers  were  brought  out 
of  prison  for  examination,  the  sheriff"  found  it  difficult  to  con- 
duct them  through  the  streets,  so  great  was  the  press  to  see 
them.  They  were  men  greatly  beloved  and  respected.  That 
(lie  eff'ect  might  be  the  greater,  he  was  sent  to  his  own  diocese 
to  be  burnt  there.  On  the  9th  of  February,  he  was  bound  to 
the  stnke.     The  fire  consumed  him  but  slowlv.     One  hand  was 


296  CHURCH  OP   ENGLAND.  PeRIOD   III 

seen  to  drop  off  before  he  expired.  His  last  words  were, 
^'  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit."  An  immense  crowd  of  peo- 
ple were  witnesses  of  the  horrid  scene.  He  was  the  great  fa- 
ther of  the  puritans. 

The  same  day.  Dr.  Rowland  Taylor  was  burnt  at  Hadly ; 
and  in  the  month  of  March,  a  number  of  others  were  burnt 
at  Smithfield.  The  effect  of  these  dreadful  scenes,  was  very 
different  from  what  the  papists  expected.  Gardiner  supposed 
that  two  or  three  burnmgs,  would  extirpate  Protestantism 
from  England.  But  the  blood  ot"  the  martyrs  was  again  the 
seed  of  the  church.  The  reformers  stood  firm  to  their  cause, 
and  gloried  in  their  sufferings  for  Christ.  The  nation  became 
exasperated.  Phihp  openly  disavowed  them  ;  and  they  were 
stopped  for  a  time. 

The  prisons  were  crowded  with  the  ablest  and  best  men  of 
England,  and  were  in  fact,  the  best  christian  schools  and 
churches.  There  religious  instruction  was  constantly  imparted, 
and  prayer  and  praise  were  offered. 

In  the  month  of  June,  the  business  of  burning  recommenced. 
The  dead  body  of  a  robber  who  had  on  the  scaffold,  uttered 
something  true,  was  condemned  and  burnt.  John  Bradford, 
a  preacher  in  London,  was  a  distinguished  victim.  When  in 
prison  a  recantation  was  sent  to  him  ;  and  when  he  had  heard 
it,  he  asked  for  his  condemnation,  pricked  his  hand  and  sprinkled 
upon  the  bill  his  blood,  bidding  them  carry  it  to  the  bishop, 
and  tell  him  he  had  already  sealed  it  with  his  blood.  "  He  en- 
dured the  flame  as  a  fresh  gale  of  wind  in  a  hot  summer's  day,*' 
and  exclaimed  in  the  fire,  "  straight  is  the  way,  and  narrow  is 
the  gate  that  leadeth  to  salvation,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it." 
Through  the  months  of  July,  August  and  September,  numbers 
were  burnt  at  several  places.  Six  were  burnt  in  one  fire  at 
Canterbury.  On  the  16th  of  October,  two  distinguished  victims 
were  sacrificed  at  Oxford — Ridley  and  Latimer.  The  former  was 
one  of  the  most  able  and  learned  of  the  English  reformers ;  the 
latter,  was  a  man  of  great  simplicity  of  character,  of  wit  and  bold- 
ness, who  by  his  preaching,  had  done  more  than  almost  any  man 
to  expose  the  follies  of  popery,  and  sustain  the  truth.  When  he 
was  burnt,  he  was  nearly  seventy  years  of  age.  He  had  suf- 
fered much  from  the  cold  damps  of  his  prison,  and  hard  treat- 
ment, and  had  a  very  decrepid  appearance.  He  came  before 
the  council,  "  hat  in  hand,  with  a  kerchief  bound  round  his 
head,  and  over  it  a  night  cap  or  two,  with  a  greai  cap,  such  as 
townsmen  used  in  those  days,  with  two  broad  flaps  to  button 
under  the  chin.     His  dress  was  a  gown  of  Bristol  frieze?  old 


Chap.  17.      ridley  and  latimer,  cranmer.  297 

and  threadbare,  fastened  round  the  body  with  a  penny  leathern 
girdle  ;  his  Testament  was  suspended  from  his  girdle  by  a 
leathern  string,  and  his  spectacles  without  a  case,  were  hanging 
from  his  neck  upon  his  breast."  Ridley  wrote  several  valua- 
ble epistles  to  his  friends  and  countrymen  durmg  his  imprison- 
ment, which  stdl  remain.  Alter  his  condemnation  he  was  pub- 
licly degraded  from  his  office.  Tht  y  were  led  out  together  to 
the  place  of  death,  which  was  near  Baliol  College.  They  em- 
braced each  other,  and  knelt  and  prayed.  A  short  sermon  was 
preacfied  to  mock  them.  And  when  the  fire  was  brought,  the 
venerable  old  man  said,  •'  Be  of  good  courage,  master  Ridley, 
and  play  the  man.  We  shall  this  day  light  such  a  candle,  by 
God's  grace  in  England,  as  I  trust  shall  never  be  put  out." 
Bags  of  gunpowder  were  tied  about  their  bodies  to  hasten  their 
death.  Latimer  soon  yielded  to  the  flames,  but  Ridley  suffered  a 
tedious  martyrdom. 

No  sooner  w\s  the  vengeance  of  thf»  odious  Gardiner  glutted 
with  the  death  of  these  excellent  men,  than  he  was  called  to 
give  up  his  account.  His  last  words  were,  "  I  have  sinned 
with  Peter,  but  I  have  not  wept  with  Peter."  Bonner  had  al- 
ready been  active  in  the  bloody  work,  and  was  ready  to  con- 
tinue it.  Three  were  burnt  at  one  stake  in  Canterbury,  in 
November,  and  on  the  18th  of  December,  Philpot,  archdeacon 
of  Westminster,  suffered  at  Smithfield.  "  i  will  pay  my  vows" 
said  this  excellent  man,  "  in  thee,  O  Smithfield."  Sixty-seven 
had  this  year  been  burnt  for  their  attachment  to  the  Protestant 
cause. 

But  the  great  object  of  the  queen's  vengeance  still  remained. 
This  was  Cranmer.  No  sooner  harl  this  great  and  good  man 
discerned  the  course  which  was  to  be  taken,  than  he  settled  all 

I  his  private  affairs,  that  he  might  be  prepared  for  the  worst. 
His  confinement  was  long,  and  no  means  were  spared  to  con- 
vert him  to  the  Roman  faith.  On  September  12th,  1555,  com- 
missioners  were    sent   by    the    queen,    to  Oxford  to  try   him. 

j  Cranmer  defended  himself  with  meekness   and  learning.     He 

i  was  commanded  to  appear  before  the  pope  at  Rome  in  80  days. 

j  This   he  said,  he  would  do  if  the  queen  would  send  him.     But 

ti  it  was  done  in  mockery  ;  and  before  the  term  expired  he  was 

III  degra(ied    tVom  his  olRce.     Clothed  with  vestments  of  rags  and 

i|  canvass,  with  a  mock  mure  and  pall,  he  was  publicly  exhibited. 

I'l  The   utmost  efforts  were  again  made  to  induce  him  to  recant  ; 

II  and  alas  !  Peter  like,  he  finally  yielded,  and  set  his  hand  to  a 
j|  paper,  renouncing  the  principles  of  the  reformation,  and 
}  acknowledging  the  authority  of  the  pnpnl  church.     The  Catho^ 


-298  CHURCH    OF    ENGLAND.  PfiRIOD  liL 

lies  triumphed  in  his  fall.  But  they  had  no  idea  of  sparing  his 
life.  The  queen  could  not  forgive  the  man  who  advised  to 
Henry's  divorce  from  her  mother.  A  writ  was  issued  for  burn- 
ing, and  he  was  brought  into  St.  Marie's  church,  and  placed  on 
a  platform.  Cole,  provost  of  Eaton,  preached  a  sermon  in 
which  he  announced  that  Cranmer  was  to  die,  and  magnified 
his  conversion  as  the  work  of  God,  and  assured  him  of  the  sal- 
vation of  bis  soul.  Cranmer  discovered  ureat  confusion,  and 
frequently  she.l  floods  of  tears.  When  Cole  had  finished,  he 
bade  him  disclose  his  fairh.  Cranmer  prayed  and  addressed  the 
people  ;  repeated  th*-  apostles  creed,  anrl  declnreri  his  faith  in 
the  holy  scriptures.  He  then  turned  to  that  which  troubled  his 
conscience  more  than  :iny  thing  else,  his  recantation — declared 
it  Wfis  drawn  from  him  oy  the  fear  of  denth  ;  had  filh'd  his  nouI 
with  the  deepest  sorrow,  Hud  was  most  bitferly  repented  of; 
and  that  the  hand  which  haH  donp  it,  should  burn  first  in  the 
fire.  The  Papists  were  thrown  into  confusion,  gnashed  on  him 
with  their  teeth,  and  drew  him  to  the  stake,  where  Ridley  and 
Latimer  had  been  burned.  When  the  fire  whs  kindling,  he 
stretched  forth  his  right  hand  to  the  flame,  never  moving  it  un- 
til it  was  burnt  away.  As  the  flames  gathered  around  his  body, 
he  exclaimed  often,  "  That  unworthy  hand, — Lord  Jesus  re- 
ceive my  spirit."  Thii^  flier!  one  of  the  {greatest  promoters  of 
the  reforujation,  Mnnh  21si,  1566,  m  the  67th  year  of  his  age. 
But  It  was  a  m  -rtyrdom  most  injurious  to  the  Romish  cause.  It 
was  a  direct  breach  of  promise.  The  sympathy  of  thousands 
was  awrikened  t>y  hi?-  repentance,  and  his  calm  and  patient  en- 
durance of  torment. 

For  two  years  more  the  persecution  continued  with  unabated 
fury.  Bonner  scorned  to  burn  men  singly,  and  drove  them  in 
companies  to  the  stake.  The  bodies  of  Bucer  and  Fagius  were 
dug  up,  and  with  their  books,  were  publicly  burnt.  But  the  re- 
for.Tiers  inci-eased.  They  assembled  together  secretly  for  con- 
sultation and  prayer.  They  afforded  relief  to  those  in  prison, 
and  buried  the  bodies  of  such  as  died  there  and  were  cast  out  in 
disgrace. 

At  length,  to  extirpate  the  hated  religion  entirely,  the  king 
and  queen  resolved  upon  the  introduction  of  the  Inquisition^ 
with  all  its  horrors.  But  England  was  happily  preserved  from 
this  by  the  death  of  Mary,  on  the  17th  of  Nov.  1558. 

The  Irish  Protestants  escaped  her  vengeance  through  a  sin- 
gular providence.  Their  number  had  become  great,  through 
the  energetic  proceedings  of  George  Brown,  whom  Henry  YIW, 
had  created  archbishop  of  Dublin,  and  Mary  had  resolved  to  ex- 


Chap.  17.  accession  of  Elizabeth.  299 

tirpate  them  by  flame.  But  while  her  messenger  was  on  his 
way  with  the  bloody  commission,  the  wife  of  an  innkeeper,  hear- 
ing him  say  that  he  had  a  commission  which  would  lash  the  Pro- 
testants of  Ireland  and  being  friendly  to  th«' *  contrived  to  steal 
away  his  commission,  and  put  in  its  place  a  pack  of  cards. 
When  the  commissioner  arrived  at  Dublin,  he  opened  his  com- 
mission in  presence  of  the  pubhc  authorities  and,  to  his  confu- 
sion, found  nothing  but  the  cards  ;  and  b(  f(3re  he  could  get  a  re- 
newal of  the  commission  the  queen  was  dodd,  and  God's  people 
escaped.  Queen  Elizabeth  was  so  pleased  with  the  tale^  that 
she  conferred  upon  the  woman  forty  pounds  a  year  for  life. 

No  one  can  contemplate  this  dark  pei  iod  of  England's  history 
without  feelings  of  horror  at  its  bloody  scenes,  and  gratitude  for 
the  blessings  we  enjoy.  Two  hundred  and  eighty-eight  persons, 
including  twenty  clergymen  of  whom  five  were  bishops,  were 
burnt  alive  ;  many  were  deprived  of  means  of  subsistence,  im- 
prisoned, tortured,  scourged,  placed  in  the  most  painful  postures, 
until  they  expired  under  their  accumulated  sufferings.  An  im- 
mense amount  of  wealth  was  sacrificed,  and  the  spirit  and  cha- 
racter of  the  nation  was  sunk  very  low.  But  it  was  a  fiery  trial, 
through  which  it  seemed  necessary  for  the  nation  to  pass.  She 
had  given  her  strength  to  the  beast.  Though  reformed  under 
Henry  and  Edward,  she  had  not  been  weaned.  This  day  of 
persecution  made  her  heartily  sick  of  popery.  No  one  mourned 
the  death  of  Mary.  Every  one  hailed  the  accession  of  Elizabeth 
and  the  restoration  of  the  Protestant  religion. 

Elizabeth  had  been  singularly  preserved  from  the  merciless 
fangs  of  Gardiner  and  Bonner.  She  began  to  reign  at  the  age 
of  twenty-four,  and  governed  England  forty-five  years,  with  an 
energy,  sagacity,  and  prudence  of  which  ^ew  monarchs  can 
boast.  During  her  reign,  Protestantism  was  firmly  estabhshed 
in  her  dominions,  and  favoured  and  supported  by  her  in  other 
parts  of  Europe. 

On  her  way  to  London  she  was  greeted  by  thousands  ;  and 
as  the  bishops  and  clergy  came  around  her  to  congratulate  her, 
she  smiled  upon  all,  except  Bonner,  from  whom  she  turned  in 
indignation,  as  a  man  of  blood.  At  her  coronation,  as  she  pass- 
ed under  a  triumphal  arch,  an  Enghsh  Bible  was  let  down  intf» 
her  hands,  by  a  child  representing  truth,  which  she  received  with 
reverence,  accounting  it  the  most  valuable  gift  that  could  be 
bestowed. 

No  sooner  was  her  accession  known,  than  all  who  had  fled 
into  foreign  countries  returned.  The  Papists  had  flattered  them- 
selves that  they  had  at  least  extinguished  the  light  of  the  refor- 


300  CHURCH   OP    ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  IIL 

mation  ;  but,  to  their  astonishment,  a  great  body  of  learned  and 
pious  men  came  forth,  who,  in  exile  or  concealment,  had  made 
themselves  well  acquainted  with  the  word  of  God.  Elizabeth 
filled  the  vacant  sees  with  Parker,  Grindall  Cox,  Sands,  Jewel, 
Parkhurst,  Pilkington,  and  others,  who  proved  great  ornaments 
to  the  British  nation.  She  re-established  King  Edward's  ser- 
vice in  all  the  churches,  and  forbade  the  priests  to  elevate  the 
host  at  mass,  but  she  would  use  no  violence.  Such  papists  as 
chose,  she  permitted  to  retire  beyond  the  seas.  Such  as  retired 
from  the  priest's  office,  she  pensioned.  Of  these,  the  number 
was  small ;  the  papists  thinking  it  better  for  their  own  cause  to 
acknowledge  the  queen's  supremacy,  than  refuse  and  quit  the 
kingdom.  Out  of  nine  thousand  and  four  hundred  beneficed 
men,  only  fourteen  bishops  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
others  resigned  their  livings.  The  others  remained  in  the  church, 
"  a  miserable  set  of  sveather-cocks."  The  monks  returned  to 
secular  life  and  the  nuns  went  to  France  and  Spain.  Bonner 
maintained  bis  sullen  temper,  refused  to  submit  to  the  queen, 
was  committed  to  prison  where  he  died.  Elizabeth  was  in 
favour  of  images  in  the  churches,  but  so  did  the  clergy  oppose 
them,  that  she  gave  orders  to  have  them  all  taken  down.  The 
Bible  was  translated  anew,  and  published  in  1571.  The  articles 
of  religion  received  by  king  Edward,  were  revised  and  adopted, 
leaving  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence  untouched,  and  the 
English  establishment  was  settled  nearly  upon  its  present  forip.. 


Chap.  18.  church  of  England.  301 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Troubles  m  the  English  Church.  Efforts  of  the  Papists  to  regain 
their  lost  dominion.  Rise  of  the  Puritans.  Acts  of  Supremacy 
and  Uniformity.  Demands  of  the  Puritans.  Persecutions  of 
the  High  Commission  Court.  The  Puritans  separate  from  the 
establishment.  Their  character  and  principles.  Conference  at 
Hampton  Court,  and  oppression  under  James  I.  Popish  powder 
plot.  King  James'  translation  of  the  Bible.  Persecutions  by 
Laud,  and  overthrow  of  Episcopacy.  Assembly  of  Divines  at 
Westminster.  Irish  Massacre.  Triumph  of  the  Puritans.  Re- 
storation of  Monarchy  and  Episcopacy.  Severities  towards  the 
Nonconformists.  Efforts  of  Infidelity.  New  efforts  of  the 
Papists.  Revolution.  Rise  of  two  parties,  High  and  Low 
Church.  Bangorian  Controversy.  Deists.  Great  excitement 
from  the  Methodists.  Effects  of  the  French  Revolution.  Pre- 
sent state  of  parties.  Discipline  and  Doctrine  of  the  Church  of 
England.     Distinguished  Divines. 

Although  the  Church  of  England,  seemed,  at  the  accession  of 
Ehzabeth,  to  be  firmly  re-established  ;  yet  she  soon  met  with 
severe  trials.  The  catholics  employed  every  measure  that 
human  ingenuity  could  devise,  to  regain  their  lost  dominion. 
The  pope  tirst  addressed  a  conciliatory  letter  to  the  queen, 
inviting  her  to  the  bosom  of  the  church;  and,  finding  this  in 
vain,  excommunicated  her  and  absolved  all  her  subjects  from 
their  oath  of  allegiance.  Conspiracies  were  formed  to  set 
Mary,  queen  of  Scots,  upon  the  throne.  Elizabeth  was  repre- 
sented as  a  monster  in  cruelty.  The  ladies  about  her  were 
exhorted  by  the  Jesuits  to  assassinate  her.  And  finally,  the 
whole  power  of  Spain  was  brought  against  the  kingdom.  Phi- 
lip, with  an  immense  force,  called  the  Spanish  Armada,  came 
into  the  British  channel,  with  the  design  of  taking  the  throne, 
re-establishing  popery,  enforcing  it  by  all  the  horrors  of  the 
inquisition,  and  sending  Ehzabeth  to  Rome,  to  be  treated  by  the 
pope  as  he  pleased.  But  the  Armada  was  scattered  by  tem- 
pests, and  the  design  was  confounded.. 

Other  troubles  arose  in  her  own  bosom.  Among  the  fiigitives 
from  bloody  Mary's  persecution,  some  who  took  refuge  at 
I'rankfort  in  Germany,  became  attached  to  the  Genevan  forms 
of  worship  and  discipline,  and  shewed  a  determination  to  re- 
nounce entirely  all  the  pecuUar  usages  of  the  church  of  Rome., 
which  had  been  retained  from  politic  motivesj  and  foi-m  their 
'       2jS 


302  CHURCH    OF   ENGLAND.  PeRIOD    III. 

practice  according  to  the  presbyterian  model.  They  laid  aside 
King  Edward's  service,  the  surplice  and  the  responses  of  the  11-^ 
turgy.  And  because  they  considered  their  new  worship  as  pu- 
rer or  more  scriptural  than  their  old,  they  were,  in  ridicule, 
called  Puritans.  In  the  steps  they  had  taken,  they  met  with 
violent  opposition  from  many  of  their  brethren.  Dr.  Cox  who 
had  been  tutor  to  king  Edward,  disturbed  their  worship  by  an- 
swering aloud  after  the  minister,  and  accused  the  celebrated 
John  Knox,  who  was  then  pastor  of  these  exiles,  of  enmity  to 
the  Emperor.  Knox  and  his  friends  were  driven  from  the  city, 
and  the  episcopal  forms  were  re-established.  But  the  Puritans 
received  great  support  from  the  church  at  Geneva,  and  increas- 
ed rapidly  in  numl3ers  ;  and  when,  upon  the  accession  of  Eliza- 
beth, they  returned  to  their  native  country,  it  was  not  without 
strong  hope  that  they  should  bring  over  the  nation,  now  sick  of 
every  thing  appertaining  to  Popery,  to  their  views  and  practices. 
But  Ehzabeth  was  more  of  a  papist  than  puritan.  With  her 
was  lodged  absolute  power.  The  parliament  early  passed  an 
Act  of  Supremacy  vesting  in  the  crown  the  supreme  power  of  all 
matters  ecclesiastical  and  spiritual  ;  giving  the  queen  the  power 
to  "  repress  all  heresies,  establish  or  repeal  all  canons,  alter 
every  point  of  discipline,  and  ordain  or  abolish  any  rehgious  rite 
or  ceremony."^  They  also  passed  an  act  June  24,  1559,  called 
the  Act  or  Uniformity,  by  which  the  nation  were  bound  to  submit 
to  the  liturgy  and  observe  all  the  rites,  ceremonies,  holidays,  forms 
and  habits  of  the  church.  The  door  was  at  once  closed  by  this 
act  against  any  reconciliation  ;  and  the  more  they  contemplated 
the  church  service,  the  farther  did  the  puritans  remove  from  a 
spirit  of  submission. 

At  first  they  objected  merely  to  the  episcopal  vestments,  the 
square  cap,  the  tippet  and  the  surplice  which  they  called  "  con- 
juring garments  of  popery,"  but  they  soon  insisted  upon  a  parity 
among  all  the  ministers  of  Christ,  and  the  validity  of  ordination 
conferred  by  ordinary  ministers  as  well  as  by  bishops ;  they  deman- 
ded the  abolition  of  archdeacons,  deans,  canons  and  other  offi- 
cers not  known  in  scripture ;  refused  the  admission  of  any  to  com- 
munion who  did  not  give  good  evidence  of  personal  piety  ;  denoun- 
ced festivals  and  holidays  in  honour  of  saints  ;  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  the  use  of  godfathers  and  godmothers  to  the  exclusion 
of  parents  in  the  baptism  of  children  ;  kneeling  at  the  sacrament ; 
bowing  at  the  name  of  Jesus  ;  confirmation  of  children,  and  pro- 
hibition of  marriage  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  ; — in  a  word 

*  Hume. 


Chap.  18.  puritans.  303 

every  custom  which  had  been  derived  from  the  church  of  Rome. 
They  also  refused  to  acknowledge  that  which  the  bishops  con- 
sidered of  vital  importance  to  them,  that  the  church  of  Rome 
was  a  true  church.  They  looked  upon  the  pope  as  Antichrist 
and  its  whole  system  of  doctrine  and  discipline  as  diametrically 
opposite  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity. 

The  church  party  pleaded  that  the  forms  of  religion  were  to 
be  regulated  by  the  civil  government  ;  but  the  puritans  main- 
tained that  the  power  of  the  magistracy  did  not  extend  to  these 
things,  and  if  it  did,  that  it  was  wrong  to  impose  things  as  indispen- 
sable which  were  not  found  in  scripture,  especially  things  that 
had  a  tendency  to  subject  the  nation  again  to  popery.  But 
good  reasoning  could  avail  but  little  at  that  period.  The  queen 
availed  herself  of  an  expression  in  the  act  of  Supremacy  to  es- 
tabhsh  a  High  Commission  Court,  whose  jurisdiction  should 
extend  over  the  whole  kingdom,  and  which  should  be  empower- 
ed to  make  inquiry  into  all  offences  against  the  ecclesiastical 
laws  not  only  by  the  common  method  of  juries  and  witnesses, 
but  by  all  other  ways  which  would  effect  their  purpose.  At  the 
head  of  this  court  was  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  The 
first  who  was  exalted  by  the  queen  to  this  place  was  Parker,  a 
violent  opposer  of  the  puritans.  From  him  they  received  no  mercy. 
Soon  as  it  was  known  that  some  of  the  puritans  officiated  with- 
out the  priestly  garments,  the  London  clergy  were  summoned 
before  the  commission  Court.  The  Bishop's  chancellor  thus 
addressed  them  ;  "  My  masters,  and  ye  ministers  of  London,  the 
council's  pleasure  is,  that  ye  strictly  keep  the  unity  of  apparel 
like  this  man,  (pointing  to  a  Mr.  Cole  in  uniform)  with  a  square 
cap,  a  scholar's  gown  priest-hke,  a  tippet,  and  in  the  church  a 
linen  surplice  ;  ye  that  will  subscribe,  write  volo,  those  who  will 
not,  write  nolo.  Some  attempted  to  remonstrate  but  were  si- 
lenced. Sixty-one  out  of  a  hundred  subscribed  to  conformity,  de- 
claring it  however  against  their  consciences — thirty-seven  chose 
rather  to  cast  themselves  for  support  upon  divine  providence. 
Persecution  was  now  violent.  A  fourth  part  of  the  ministers  of 
England  were  suspended.  Many  churches  were  shut  up.  Loath- 
some prisons  were  crowded.  Heavy  fines  and  penalties  were 
imposed.  Some  worshipped  God  in  private  houses  with  great  se- 
crecy, but  they  were  hunted  out  by  the  Bishop's  spies  and  infor- 
mers and  violently  proceeded  against.  At  length  several  puri- 
tans were  executed,  and  vast  multitudes  were  driven  from 
their  homes  in  great  indigence,  to  foreign  countries. 

Thus  oppressed,  and  seeing  no  prospect  of  better  things  in  the 
established  church,  a  number  of  the  puritans  solemnly  resolved 


304  CHURCH  OP  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  IIL 

in  1566, "  to  break  off" from  the  public  churches  and  to  assemble,  as 
they  had  opportunity,  in  private  houses  or  elsewhere,  to  worship 
God  in  a  manner  that  might  not  offend  against  the  light  of  their 
consciences.''^  Though  destitute,  afflicted,  tormented,  they  formed 
no  small  part  of  the  nation.  On  a  great  question  in  Parliament, 
relating  to  alterations  in  their  favour,  there  were  only  fifty-nine 
against,  while  fifty-eight  were  for  them.  The  University  of 
Cambridge  was  strong  in  their  favour,  and  constantly  sent  out 
preachers,  who  wer^^  opposed  to  all  prelatical  usurpations. 
Many,  too,  were  their  friends  and  patrons  among  the  nobility. 
But  the  queen  was  violent  in  her  opposition,  and  her  unrivalled 
popularity  enabled  her  to  carry  all  her  measures.  She  loved 
the  pomp  and  splendour  of  the  church,  and  she  feared  the  spirit 
of  liberty  which  she  saw  rising  in  the  breasts  of  the  puritans. 

Archbishop  Parker  died  in  1575,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Archbishop  Grindall,  who  was  disposed  to  treat  the  puritans 
with  mildness.  In  1583  the  primacy  was  filled  by  Whitgift, 
who  executed  the  laws  for  uniformity  with  the  greatest  rigour. 
Through  his  agency  the  High  Commission  court  was  nearly 
organized  and  became  a  real  inquisition.  In  his  first  citation, 
this  archbishop  caused  two  hundred  and  thirty-three  ministers 
to  be  suspended  in  his  district  for  nonconformity.  So  many 
were  at  length  suspended,  fined  and  imprisoned  that  there  re- 
mained only  about  3000  licensed-  preachers  to  supply  9000 
parishes. 

Elizabeth  died  March  24,  1603,  in  the  70th  year  of  her  age 
and  40th  of  her  reign.  Amidst  all  the  contention  for  forms  and 
ceremonies  during  her  reign,  the  state  of  religion  must  have 
been  very  low.  The  mass  of  the  people  received  but  very  lit- 
tle religious  instruction.  To  fill  the  places  of  expelled  puritans, 
the  bishops  made  priests  from  the  basest  of  the  people.  The 
court  party  ridiculed  all  as  puritans  who  went  twice  to  a  place 
of  worship  on  the  Lord's  day  and  spent  the  evening  in  worship 
or  religious  instruction.  At  one  period  the  more  zealous  clergy 
established  private  religious  meetings,  which  were  called  pro- 
phesyings,  but  they  were  totally  suppressed  by  Archbishop 
Whitgift.  Reverence  for  the  Sabbath,  however,  gradually  in- 
creased. The  papists  had  reduced  this  holy  day  to  a  level  with 
their  superstitious  festivals.  But  the  morality  of  the  day  was 
now  publicly  insisted  on  among  the  English  protestants,  and  in 
1585  a  bill  passed  in  parliament  in  its  favour.  It  was,  however, 
rejected  by  the  Q,ueen,  and  many  of  her  favourite  clergy  ex- 
claimed against  it  as  a  restraint  of  Christian  liberty  and  eclipsing 
the  festivals  of  the  church.     The  puritans,  however,  and  many 


Chap.  18.  puritans,  brownists,  305 

of  the  church  party  observed  it  better  than  it  had  been  for  ages  . 
before.     In  doctrine  the  episcopal  church  had  generally  been 
decidedly  and  fully  Calvinistic,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  Eliza- 
beth's reign  the  system  of  Arminius  began  to  find  there  many 
advocates. 

The  authors  of  this  great  dissension  from  the  English  establish- 
ment, were  men  of  excellent  character,  who  had  rendered  the 
Protestant  cause  the  most  signal  services,  and  endured  in  its 
support  the  severest  sufferings.  One  was  Coverdale,  who  was 
united  with  William  Tyndal,  and  John  Rodgers,  the  martyr,  in 
making  the  first  translation  of  the  whole  bible  into  English.  He 
was  silenced  at  the  age  of  eighty,  for  nonconformity.  John  Fox, 
historian  of  the  English  martyrdoms,  was  another.  Their  sen- 
timents were  expressed  m  the  39th  article  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, and  "  these,"  says  Neal,  their  great  historian,  "  they 
maintained  to  be  Calvinistical,  and  inconsistent  with  any  other 
interpretation,  and  so  did  the  greatest  number  of  the  conforming 
clergy,  but  as  the  new  explication  of  Arminius  grew  into  repute, 
the  Calvinists  were  reckoned  old  fashioned  divines,  and  at  length 
branded  with  the  name  of  doctrinal  puritans."  They  formed 
on  the  continent  an  attachment  to  the  discipline  of  Geneva,  but 
they  would  have  been  satisfied  with  an  exemption  from  some  of 
the  habits  and  ceremonies  of  the  establishment.  As  oppression 
\  increased,  some  presented  a  petition  to  Parliament  tor  an  entire 
reform,  and  the  establishment  of  a  presbyterian  church.  These, 
for  their  boldness,  were  committed  to  Newgate,  1572.  This 
event  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  a  regular  presbyterian 
church  at  Wandsworth,  on  the  20th  of  November  of  that  year. 
•  Other  presbyterian  churches  were  established  during  Elizabeth's 
reign  in  most  parts  of  England,  and  before  her  death  it  was  com- 
;  puted  there  were  in  the  realm  about  100,000  Presbyterians. 
But  very  many  of  their  most  learned  ministers  and  best  people 
I  were  driven  from  the  country. 

I  In  1581.  a  sect  was  formed  among  the  puritans  by  Robert 
i  Brown,  and  took  refuge  in  Holland,  called  the  Brownists.  This 
»  man  not  only  denied  the  church  of  England  as  a  true  church, 
i ;  but  rejected  presbyterianism,  and  plead  for  independency.  He 
(■  considered  every  church  as  independent  of  all  other  churches  ; 
jj  and  pastors  only  as  brethren  privileged  for  a  limited  time  to 
\\  preach,  and  not  as  a  superior  order  ;  and  he  renounced  com- 
\\  munion  not  only  with  the  Episcopalians,  but  with  the  Presbyte- 
Jfrians.  The  first  church  of  Brownists  was  formed  at  London, 
^  1592.  The  Brownists  were  much  oppressed  as  intolerable  bi- 
'.  gots  and  fanatics.      Brown  was  confined  in  thirty-two  prisons, 

2G* 


I 


306  CHURCH    OF    ENGLAND.  PeRIOD   III* 

but  before  he  died,  he  conformed  to  the  establishment.  His  ad- 
herents were  numerous.  "  I  am  afraid,"  said  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
<'  there  are  near  twenty  thousand  of  these  men  ;  and,  when  they 
are  driven  out  of  the  kingdom,  who  shall  support  their  wives 
and  children  ?" 

Their  order  was  improved  by  Mr.  John  Robinson,  pastor  of 
a  church  of  Brownists  in  the  north  of  England — a  man  of  much 
learning  and  piety.  From  his  establishment,  all  who  followed  him 
were  called  independents  ;  though  they  did  not  differ  materially 
from  the  Brownists.  Both  these  churches  were  driven  by  op- 
pression into  Holland,  where  they  established  themselves  at 
Amsterdam  and  Leyden.  A  part  of  Mr.  Robinson's  church  re- 
moved to  New-England  in  1622,  and  settled  Plymouth.  The 
first  independent  church  in  England  was  formed  in  1610  by  Mr. 
Henry  Jacob. 

Elizabeth  was  succeeded  by  James  VI.,  king  of  Scotland,  who 
now  assumed  the  name  of  James  1.  At  his  accession,  the  hopes 
of  the  puritans  were  greatly  revived,  for  he  had  been  educated 
a  Scotch  presbyterian,  and  had  said,  "  I  thank  God  that  I  am 
king  of  the  sincerest  kirk  in  the  world,  sincerer  than  the  kirk 
of  England,  whose  service  is  an  ill  said  mass  in  English,  it  wants 
nothing  of  the  mass  but  the  liftings,"  meaning  the  elevation  of 
the  host.  On  his  way  to  London,  the  puritans  met  him,  and 
presented  him  a  petition  called  the  millenary,  because  it  contain- 
ed the  wishes  of  a  thousand  ministers.  But  the  episcopalians, 
alarmed,  frowned  and  courted  the  monarch.  To  quiet  the  par- 
ties, James  appointed  a  conference  of  divines  at  Hampton  court. 
The  disputants  were  appointed  by  the  king.  He  had  already 
at  heart  taken  sides  with  the  episcopalians,  and  he  shewed  his 
feelings  by  appointing  eight  bishops,  and  as  many  deacons  on  the 
one  side,  and  only  four  puritans  on  the  other.  James  acted  as 
moderator,  though  he  did  httle  but  brow-beat  the  puritans  ;  for, 
finding  that  puritanism  was  unfriendly  to  monarchy,  he  became 
its  inveterate  foe — avowmg  the  maxim  :  No  bishop,  no  king. 
He  also  renounced  Calvinism,  it  being  too  puritanical,  and  went 
over  with  his  court  and  bishops  to  the  principles  of  Arminius — 
not  altering  but  giving  an  Arminian  interpretation  to  the  thirty- 
nine  articles.  He  also  published  a  declaration,  encouraging 
sports  on  the  Lord's  day,  as  the  puritans  insisted  upon  its  sacred 
observance,  and  had  the  book  of  sports  drawn  up  by  Bishop 
Moreton,  recommending  dancing,  archery,  leaping,  vaulting, 
May-games,  Whitson  ales,  morrice  games,  or  setting  up  of  may- 
poles, and  carrying  rushes  into  the  churches,  &c.  But  of  these, 
neither  papist  nor  puritan  was  to  have  the  benefit. 


Chap.  18.  king  james'  translation  op  the  bible.   307 

Under  King  James,  Bancroft  became  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury. He  brought  himself  into  notice  by  asserting,  in  a  ser- 
mon, that  bishops  were  an  order  distinct  from  priests,  and  this 
by  divine  right,  and  that  those  only  who  were  episcopally  or- 
dained, were  regular  ministers.  Advanced  to  power,  he  caused 
the  puritans  to  feel  terribly  the  rigour  of  the  ecclesiastical  laws. 
Every  nonconformist  was  rejected  from  the  pulpit,  and  every 
layman  favouring  nonconformity,  was  excommunicated  from  the 
church.  Such  persecution  could  no  longer  be  borne.  Many 
puritan  families  left  their  native  soil,  and  emigrated  to  New- 
England  and  Virginia.  Others  were  preparing  to  follow,  but 
were  forbidden  by  severe  laws. 

'liVhile  James  was  thus  persecuting  the  puritans,  he  and  his 
court  were  threatened  with  a  tremendous  destruction  from  the 
catholics.  Thirty  six  barrels  of  gunpowder  were  concealed 
under  the  parliament-house  with  a  design  of  blowing  up  the 
king,  lords  and  commons  when  assembled,  and  thus  overthrow- 
ing entirely  the  proteslant  cause.  But  this  awful  plot  was  hap- 
pily discovered  in  season  to  prevent  its  execution.  It  occa- 
sioned new  and  severe  measures  against  the  Catholics,  and  con- 
firmed the  puritans  in  their  belief  in  the  importance  of  relin- 
quishing entirely  the  Romish  formS  and  ceremonies.  This 
plot  was  fathered   upon    the  puritans,  that  they  might  become 

I    more  the  objects  of  public  indignation. 

!'•  In  1610,  the  furious  Bancroft  departed  this  Hie.  He  was 
succeeded  by  the  mild  and  pacitic  Abbot,  who  was  ever  disposed 
to  treat  the  puritans  with  lenity  and  kindness. 

King  Jame.s  died,  not  without  suspicion  of  poison,  March 
27th,  1625.  One  of  the  most  important  events  of  his  reign  was 
the  formation  of  that  translation  of  the  sacred  scriptures,  which 
is  now  in  common  use.  Nine  translations  into  English  had  been 
previously  made ;  viz.  Wicklifl's  new  testament  in  1380. 
Tyndall'sdo.  1626— first  edition  of  the  bible  1535  ;  Matthew's 
Bible  1537  ;  Cranmer's,  1539.  Geneva  1559,  (the  first  that 
was  printed  with  numerical  verses,)  Bishop's  1568  ;  Rhenish 
testament  1582,  and  Bible  1609,  1610  by  the  Catholics.  But 
the  English  language  was  continually  changing,  and  many  things 
existed  in  the  above  which  were  viewed  as  incorrect  by  t'le  puri- 
tans, and  they  requested  the  King,  at  the  Hampton  court  con- 
ference, to  order  a  new  translation.  The  King  complied  with 
their  request,  and  appointed  fifty-four  of  the  chief  divines  of 
both  universities  to  undertake  the  work,  under  the  following 
regulations.  "That  they  keep  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
Bishop's  Bible  ;  that  the  names  of  the  holy  writers  be  retained 


308  CHURCH  OV   ENGLAND.  PeRODIIL 

according  to  vulgar  use ;  that  the  old  ecclesiastical  words  be 
kept,  as  church  not  to  be  translated  congregation,  &c.  That 
the  division  of  chapters  be  not  altered  ;  that  when  a  word  has 
divers  significations,  that  be  kept  which  has  been  most  com- 
monly used  by  the  fathers  ;  no  raaigmnl  notes,  but  for  the  ex- 
plication of  a  Hebrew  or  Greek  word ;  marginal  references 
may  be  set  down."  As  some  died  after  tbeir  appointment,  only 
47  engaged  in  the  translation.  These  were  divided  into  six 
companies.  The  first  translated  from  Genesis  to  the  first  book 
of  Chronicles  ;  the  second  to  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  ;  the 
third  translated  the  four  greater  prophets,  with  the  Lamenta- 
tions and  twelve  smaller  prophets,  the  fourth  had  the  Apocry- 
pha ;  the  fifth  had  the  four  Gospels,  the  Acts  and  the  Revela- 
tion, and  the  sixth,  the  Canonical  Epii*tles,  The  whole  being 
finished  and  revised  by  learned  men  from  the  two  universities, 
was  published  by  Bishop  Wilson  and  Dr.  Smith,  with  a  dedica- 
tion to  king  James,  A.  D.  1611.* 

James  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles  T.  This  prince 
pursued  the  same  policy  as  his  father,  and  laboured  with  the 
whole  power  of  his  kingdom  to  subject  England  Scotland,  and 
Ireland  to  his  bishops,  and  to  extirpate  puritanism  and  Calvin- 
ism. His  primate  and  chief  counsellor,  was  Archbishop  Laud, 
a  man  who  is  said  to  have  gone  as  far  as  he  could  go  toward 
Rome  without  being  a  papist,  and  who  laboured  with  all  his 
might  to  bring  the  nation  to  receive  Armininnism,  and  to  sub- 
mit to  absolute  despotism.  But  to  popery,  Arminianism, 
and  arbitrary  power,  the  nation  were  hostile  ;  and  the  king  and 
archbishop  found  themselves  involved  in  inextricable  difficul- 
ties with  parliament.  The  king  published  a  declaration  like  his 
father,  encouraging  sports  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  Archbishop 
Laud  introduced  new  and  pompous  ceremonies,  that  the  English 
might  be  like  the  Gallican  church.  The  Lord's  Supper  had  been 
celebrated  at  a  table  in  the  midst  of  the  church.  This,  Laud 
removed,  and  placing  an  altar  against  the  east  wall,  he  fenced 
it  round  with  a  rail  way,  to  keep  the  protane  laity  at  a  respect- 
ful distance.     He  required  the  people  to  pay  great  reverence  on 

*  The  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  were  originally  written  without 
any  division  into  chapters  and  verses.  In  the  thirteenth  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  Cardinal  Hugo  divided  them  into  chapters  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  a  concordance.  These  chapters  he  subdivided  into  sections,  to  which 
he  affixed  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  In  1445,  Nathan,  a  Jew,  refined  upon  him, 
and  divided  the  Old  Testament  into  verses.  These  however  were  marked  in 
no  printed  Bible,  until  1661.  But  in  1551,  Robert  Stephens  printed  the  New 
Testament,  and  divided  it  into  verses  which  are  now  used.  Though  the  division 
is  in  some  respects  useful,  the  scriptures  should  always  be  read  without  any  re- 
ference to  it. 


Chap.  18.    assembly  of  divines  at  Westminster.     309 

entering  and  leaving  consecrated  buildings,  to  bow  to  the  altar, 
the  only  place,  he  said,  where  God  resided,  and  to  pay  great 
homage  to  the  priests.  Against  all  nonconformists,  he  exer- 
cised the  most  awful  severities  ;*  driving  multitudes  into  exile. 
During  twelve  years  of  Laud's  administration,  four  thousand 
emigrants  passed  to  America.  "  The  sun,"  said  they,  "  shines 
as  pleasantly  on  America  as  on  England,  and  the  nun  of  right- 
eousness much  more  clearly.  We  are  treated  here  in  a  manner 
which  forfeits  all  claims  upon  our  affection  The  Church  of 
England  has  added  to  the  ceremonies  and  habits  of  popery,  the 
only  marks  of  Antichrist  which  were  wanting,  corruption  of 
doctrine  and  a  bloody  persecution  of  the  saints.  Let  us  remove 
whither  the  providence  of  God  calls,  and  make  that  our  country 
which  will  afford  us  what  is  dearer  than  property  or  life,  the 
liberty  of  worshipping  God  in  the  way  which  appears  to  us  most 
conducive  to  our  eiernal  welfare." 

Those  that  remained  behind  were  far  from  being  submissive. 
A  spirit  of  religious  liberty  is  not  to  be  confined  or  suppressed. 
A  sense  of  right  and  a  conviction  of  duty  will  disrfigard  despo- 
tism, with  its  bars  and-  bolts.  The  puritans  felt  that  their  cause 
was  the  cause  of  God  Their  teachers  were  experimental, 
serious,  learned,  affectionate,  and  faithful.-  Their  people  were 
exemplary.  In  general  they  had  no  objection  to  royalty. 
They  feared  God  and  honoured  the  King.  But  they  detested 
the  hierarchy  and  the  laws  which  required  conformity  to  the 
episcopal  rites.  (he  severities  of  the  High  Commission  Court, 
and  the  contumely  and  reproach  of  Laud,  exaspervited  them  to 
the  highest  degree  Their  numbers  greatly  inert  ased.  Par- 
liament and  the  sword  of  the  nation  passed  into  their  hands. 
An  assembly  of  divines  was  convened  by  Parliament  at  West- 
minster by  whom  a  directory  of  worship  was  framed,  which  su- 
,perceded  the  prayer  book,  and  the  famous  Assen^ly's  cate- 
chism was  formed,  and  other  acts  passed,  destructive  to  the 
old  establishment.     Laud  was  accused  of  treason,  and  brought 

♦  One  Dr.  Leighton,  a  puritan,  was  condemned  in  the  Star  Chamber,  at 
Laud's  instigation,  for  publishing  an  appeal  to  the  Parliament  aL'ainst  prelacy. 
When  sentence  was  pronounced,  the  Archbishop  pulled  off  his  cap  and  gave 
thanks.  This  is  his  own  cool  record  of  its  execution:  "  Nov.  6.  1.  He  was 
severely  whipped  before  he  was  set  in  the  pillory.  2.  Being  set  in  the  pil- 
lory, he  had  one  of  his  ears  cut  off.  3.  One  side  ot  his  nose  was  slit  up.  4.  He 
was  branded  on  the  cheek  with  a  red  hot  iron,  with  the  letters  S.  S.  On  that 
day,  sen'night,  his  sores  upon  his  back,  ear,  nose,  and  face,  not  being  cured,  he 
was  whipped  again  at  the  pillory  in  Cheapside,  cutting  off  the  other  ear,  slitting 
the  other  side  of  his  nose,  and  branding  the  other  cheek  ;  was  then  imprisoned 
with  peculiar  severity  for  about  eleven  years,  and  when  released  by  the  parlia- 
Hi«nt,  he  could  neither  bear,  see,  nor  walk." 


310  CHURCH    OF    ENGLAND.  PeRIOD   III. 

to  the  block.  Episcopacy  was  abolished  throughout  the  king- 
dom. Every  thing  dear  to  the  church  party  was  swept  away. 
And  the  king  himself,  amazing  to  tell !  expiated  his  attachment 
to  unlimited  civil  and  religious  power  on  a  scaffold,  January 
30,  1648. 

Three  weeks  after  the  King's  death  the  Assembly  of  divines 
at  Westminster  was  terminated.  It  had  continued  5  years,  7 
months  and  22  days,  and  had  had  1163  sessions.  It  was  origi- 
nally composed  of  ten  lords,  twenty  commoners,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  divines  ;  seven  only  were  independents. 
Ten  of  the  episcopal  divines  who  were  appointed  attended,  and 
such  as  did  soon  withdrew,  for  the  King  by  his  royal  proclama- 
tion had  forbidden  its  convening.  Richard  Baxter,  who  knew 
most  of  them,  says,  those  who  transacted  its  business  "  were 
men  of  eminent  learning,  godliness,  ministerial  abilities,  and 
fidelity." 

The  season  of  trouble  in  England  was  used  by  the  Jesuits 
in  Ireland  to  suppress  the  Protestants.  Under  the  labours  of 
Archbishop  Usher,  Bishop  Babington,  and  others,  these  had 
flourished  greatly.  But  the  Jesuits  iufused  into  the  minds  of  the 
catholics  the  most  ferocious  feelings  towards  them  ;  and  the 
moment  when  the  troops  were  employed  in  the  contest  between 
the  king  and  parliament,  they  rose  m  mass  and  with  savage  fury 
massacred  abov«>  200,000  Protestants  The  day  on  which  this 
awful  scene  was  transacted  was  the  23d  of  October,  1641.  The 
innocent  objects  of  hellish  rage  rose  from  their  beds  in  perfect 
ignorance  of  the  dread  design.  Astonishment  seized  them  as 
they  beheld  their  nearest  neighbours,  with  whom  they  had  lived 
in  friendly  intercourse,  approach  them  armed  with  the  weapons 
of  death ;  not  to  threaten  and  terrify,  but  deliberately  to  exe- 
cute upon  every  age,  sex,  and  condition,  the  most  horrid  assas- 
sinations. Pleas,  resistance,  flight,  all  were  vain.  If  they  es- 
caped from  one,  the  next  catholic  who  met  them  was  sure  to 
knock  out  their  brains  or  plunge  a  dag^^er  in  their  bosom.  As 
the  power  of  the  catholics  increased,  they  delighted  in  invent- 
ing new  modes  of  torture.  Not  only  the  weaker  sex  but  the 
very  children  entered  mto  the  measure  and  plunged  the  knife 
into  the  breasts  of  their  playmates,  or  the  dead  carcasses  of  the 
massacred  Protestants.  Yea,  the  cattle  of  the  Protestants  were 
destroyed  as  tainted  by  the  religion  of  their  owners,  and  their 
habitations  levelled  in  the  dust  as  unfit  to  be  occupied  again  by 
human  beings.  The  province  of  Ulster,  where  they  chiefly  re- 
sided, was  nearly  depopulated.  Thus  did  they  shed  the  blood 
of  the  saints.     But  in  the  year  1648  Cromwell  subdued  tha 


Chap.  13.  episcopacy  abolished.  '  3U 

Catholics,  and  brought  them  into  a  subjection  from  which  they 
have  never  been  able  to  rise. 

The  assembly  of  divines  pulled  down  episcopacy  without 
preparing  any  thing  as  a  substitute ;  and  the  door  being  wide 
open,  the  country  was  inundated  with  a  great  variety  of 
religious  sects.  In  J  549,  parliament  declared  presbyterianism  ^ 
the  established  religion  of  the  country  ;  but  they  passed  an  or- 
dinance abolishing  all  penal  statutes  for  religion,  and  permitting 
every  one  to  think  and  act  as  he  pleased  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion. The  presbytcrians  became  very  lordly  under  their  tri- 
umph, and  would  have  established  a  system  of  religious  tyran- 
ny, if  they  could.  For  the  principles  of  correct  religious  tole- 
ration were  understood  by  none  in  that  age  Every  party  in- 
sisted upon  uniformity  of  worship,  and  upon  the  propriety  of 
calling  in  the  sword  to  support  and  enforce  its  own  forms. 
They  were  therefore  exceedingly  grieved  with  this  ordinance  ol 
parliament  ;  and  still  more  by  finding  that  Cromwell  and  the 
parliament,  who  had  grown  jealous  of  them,  now  took  under 
their  patronage  the  independents,  and  brought  them  up  to  be  a 
large  and  important  class  of  Christians. 

I  The   episcopal  clergy,  as  might  be  expected,  felt  the  heavy 
i  hand   of  oppression.     The  bishops  were  not  only  deprived  of 

their   dignities,   but   were,   in   many   cases,   most   shamefully 
abused  :    7000  clergymen  were  ejected  from  their  livings,  but 
;  one  fifth   of  the  living  was   reserved   for   the  use  of  their 
i   suffering  wives  and  children.     Such  as  continued  to  officiate, 
•^\  conformed   to  the  new  establishment,  but  used  as  far  as  they 
could,  the  old  forms  of  prayer,  though  they  might  not  read  the 
liturgy  under  severe  penalties.     Every  thing  peculiar  to  the 
■   old  establishment,  was   broken  down  by  the  rude  hand  of  vio- 
lence.    A  rage  for  uniformity  prevailed  among  the  presbyte- 
I,  rians,  as  much  as  it  had  in  the  old  establishment,  and  painted 
[!  windows,  cathedral  carvings,  statues,  organs,  monuments,  all, 
\\  all  were  swept  away  by  the  besom  of  destruction. 

I I  As  the  revolution  was  professedly  religious,  every  thing  was 
I:  done  under  the  garb  of  religion.  The  most  ambitious  spirits, 
5  •  who  could  wade  through  seas  of  blood  to  obtain  wealth  and 
{'■■  power,  were  found  using  the  language  of  the  children  of  God, 
,  and  professing  to  wield  the  sword  of  Jehovah.  But  if  these 
r  were  hypocrites,  and  the  others  fanatics,  there  was  never  so 
c'  much  genuine  piety  in  the  kingdom,  as  at  that  period.  Among 
\[  all    ranks    was    an   unusual    portion    of   religious   knowledge. 

Prayer  was  the  regular  business  of  most  families.     The  Lord's 
day  was  sacredly  observ^ed.     The  leading  divines,  Owen,  Bax- 


I 


312  CHURCH   OP    ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  III. 

ter,  Manton,  Goodwin,  Howe,  Poole,  Bates,  Flaval,  have, 
perhaps,  never  been  surpassed  in  solid  learning,  theological 
acumen,  and  popular  eloquence.  They  were  men  who  under- 
stood the  Gospel,  and  who  preached  it  with  power.  Under 
their  preaching,  thousands  were  convinced  of  sin,  and  con- 
verted to  God.  The  general  attention  given  to  religion,  may 
be  learned  from  the  fact,  that  the  army  under  Cromwell,  which 
went  to  subdue  the  Catholics  in  Ireland,  observed  before  their 
embarcation,  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  After  three  minis- 
ters had  prayed,  Cromwell  and  his  colonels  expounded  Scrip- 
ture to  the  troops.  Not  an  oath  was  to  be  heard  throughout 
the  whole  camp  ;  the  soldiers  spending  their  leisure  hours  in  read- 
ing their  Bibles,  or  singing  psalms,  and  religious  conferences. 
Many,  unquestionably,  were  held  under  restraint  against  their 
wills,  but  it  was  the  spirit  of  the  age  that  restrained  them. 
The  chaplains  of  the  protector,  were  some  of  the  most  able 
and  faithful  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ.  For  his  own  personal 
religion,  he  stands  or  falls  in  the  judgment,  like  the  rest  of 
men.  What  appears  in  him  fanatical  expressions,  were  the 
language  of  the  day,  common  to  him  before  he  touched  the 
sword  of  state.  No  man  was  more  hated  by  the  papists,  or 
did  more  toward  breaking  down  the  spirit  of  superstition,  in 
England.  He  made  provision  of  10,000  pounds  a  year,  to  be 
used  in  the  conversion  of  the  heathen. 

The  triumph  of  the   puritans  was  short.     When  Cromwell, - 
their  master-spirit  was  no  more,  every  thing  ran  into  confu- 
sion.    The  nation   had  become  republican  in  feeling,  but  the 
officers  of  the  army  wrested  the  sceptre,  and  in  1660,  placed 
Charles  II,  upon  the  throne. 

The  tide  now  set  as  strong  against  the  puritans,  as  it  had 
before  against  the  episcopalians.  They  had  hoped  for  better 
things,  especially  the  presbyterians,  who  had  been  active  in 
recalling  Charles,  and  who,  in  fact,  were  never  much  concern- 
ed in  bringing  his  father  to  the  block.  But  even  their  expec- 
tation perished.  All  the  lavish  promises  of  Charles  toward 
them,  were  soon  forgotten.  Episcopacy  was  fully  re-establish- 
ed, and  an  observance  of  all  its  forms,  was  most  rigorously  re- 
quired. On  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  August  24,  1662,  the  act 
of  uniformity  was  passed.  It  required  every  clergyman  to 
take  the  following  oath  on  penalty  of  losing  his  cure,  living  or 
preferment. 

"  I,  A.  B.  do  hereby  declare  my  unfeigned  assent  and  con- 
sent, to  all  and  every  thing  contained  and  prescribed  in  and  by 
the  book  entitled  the  book  of  common  prayer  and  administratia«- 


.HAP. 


18.  RESTORATION    OP   EPISCOPACY.  313 


of  the  sacraments,  and  other  rites  arid  ceremonies  of  the  church 
of  England,  together  with  the  psalter  or  psalms  of  David,  ap- 
pointed as  they  are  to  be  sung  or  said  in  churches,  and  the 
form  and  manner  of  making,  ordaining,  and  consecrating 
bishops,  priests  and  deacons."  Charles  likewise  decreed,  that 
the  ordination  of  all  presbyterians,  should  be  null  and  void  ; 
and  that  they  should  obtain  episcopal  orders,  before  taking  the 
above  oath  2000  puritan  ministers,  some  of  them  the  ablest 
and  best  which  ever  adorned  the  Church  of  Christ,  were  thus  at 
once  ejected  from  their  pulpits,  and  not  only  deprived  of  their 
ordinary  support,  but  of  the  past  year's  remuneration,  which 
became  due  shortly  after. 

They  were,  moreover,  required  to  promise  on  oath,  that 
they  would  not  take  arms  against  the  king,  or  endeavour  to  ef- 
fect any  alteration  in  the  church  or  state.  If  they  refused, 
they  were  for  ever  forbid  coming  within  five  miles  of  any  city 
or  borough  where  they  had  preached.  An  act  called  the  con- 
venticle act,  was  also  passed,  forbidding  any  dissenters  above  five 
m  number,  assembling  for  any  other  exercise  of  religion,  than 
that  prescribed  in  the  liturgy  of  the  church  of  England,  on  pe- 
nalty of  fine,  imprisonment  or  banishment. 

Several  denominations  were  at  this  time  existing  in  the 
Idngdom.  Sixteen  are  mentioned  by  cotemporary  writers. 
The  baptists  and  quakers,  were  most  numerous  next  to  the 
presbyterians  and  independents.  All  these  were  classed  to- 
gether under  the  general  name  of  nonconformists,  and  the 
name  of  puritan  was  dropped.  All  felt  the  arm  of  oppression. 
The  business  of  informers  was  made  very  lucrative.  The 
prisons  were  quickly  filled.  The  nonconformists  were  afraid 
to  pray  in  their  families,  or  ask  a  blessing  on  their  meals,  if  five 
strangers  were  present.  Their  hardships  were  greater  than 
those  of  the  papists  at  the  reformation,  or  the  loyalists  in  the 
time  of  the  civil  wars.  Such  as  could,  fled  to  America.  About 
8000  died  in  prison.  And  not  less  than  60,000,  found  in  va- 
rious ways,  an  untimely  grave.  Property  was  wrung  from 
them  to  the  amount  of  two  millions  sterling.  In  1665,  the 
English  nation,  vvhich  was  daily  exhibiting  scenes  of  profligacy 
and  oppression,  was  visited  with  the  most  tremendous  judg- 
ments. A  distressing  drought,  caused  a  murrain  among  the 
cattle.  Infection  was  communicated  to  the  city  of  London,  and 
100,000  people  were  swept  ofl*  by  the  plague.  Soon  after 
the  city  was  burned  to  the  ground.  During  the  pestilence, 
the  wealthy  and  independent  inhabitants  fled  ;  the  pulpits  were 
deserted.     Many,  however,  of  the  ejected  ministers?  ocpupieB 

27 


I 


314  CHURCH    OF  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  IlL 

them,  and  visited  and  comforted  the  distressed,  and  were  permit- 
ted to  exercise  their  ministry  without  opposition.  In  1672,  the 
king  granted  a  general  declaration  of  mdulgence,  suspending 
the  penal  laws  against  dissenters  ;  but  the  presbyterians  and 
independents,  would  have  preferred  further  suffering,  to  hav- 
ing the  papists  so  greatly  favoured.  About  the  same  time,  also 
.  was  passed  the  test  act,  making  the  episcopal  sacrament  a 
qualification  for  civil  offices  and  employments.  That  remains 
to  this  day. 

The  churches  were,  at  the  restoration,  filled  with  their  for- 
mer incumbents.  But  the  high  church  party  were  not  popular 
with  Charles,  and  men  filled  the  high  stations,  who  did  not  look 
upon  episcopacy  as  a  divine  institution,  and  absolutely  essen- 
tial, though  they  praised  it  as  the  best  form  of  government  and 
worship,  and  who  viewed  the  points  of  controversy  between 
Calvinists  and  Arminians,  as  of  an  indifferent  nature,  which, 
with  certain  explanations,  might  be  held,  or  be  entirely  cast 
away,  without  any  spiritual  detriment. 

With  a  voluptuous  monarch  on  the  throne,  and  a  iatitudina- 
rian  clergy  in  the  desk,  vital  piety  rapidly  declined.  All  who 
had  before  been  unwilli-'igly  restrained  by  the  powerful  preach- 
ing of  the  nonconformists,  now  ran  to  the  excess  of  wicked- 
ness, and  delighted  in  nothing  so  much  as  reviling  what  they 
called  the  canting  hypocrisy  and  fanaticism  of  the  common- 
wealth. The  nobles  of  England,  exchanged  their  sober,  seri- 
ous character,  for  one  of  frivolity  and  sin.  A  host  of  infidels, 
led  by  Hobbs,  Toland,  and  the  lords  Herbert,  Rochester  and 
Shaftesbury,  made  a  bold  attack,  by  ridicule  and  sophistry, 
upon  Christianity.  But  the  great  luminaries  of  the  age,  New- 
ton, Locke,  Boyle,  Tillotson  and  Cudworth,  threw  all  their 
influence  into  the  opposite  scale,  and  made  them  appear  weak 
and  contemptible,  in  the  eyes  of  all  discerning  men  The  ex- 
cellent Robert  Boyle,  instituted  an  annual  course  of  lectures, 
in  which  the  Gospel  was,  for  a  long  time,  most  ably  defended 
from  the  base  and  insidious  attacks  of  these  subtle  enemies. 

Religion  continued  in  a  state  of  astonishing  fluctuation,  and 
the  nation  soon  found  itself  on  the  very  point  of  subjection  to 
the  Roman  see.  Charles  had  been,  from  his  exile,  at  heart,  a 
papist,  and  would  have  betrayed  the  protestant  cause,  had  he 
dared  to  do  it.  He  terminated  his  dissolute  life,  by  the  re- 
ceiving the  sacrament  from  the  hands  of  a  popish  priest,  in 
4684,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  James  II.,  a  bigotted 
catholic. 

The  catholicjS  had   been  closely  watched  in  England,  from 


Chap.  18.         james  ii.  free  toleration,  31-<6 

the  discovery  of  the  powder  plot,  but  they  were  very  numerous 
and  powerful.  In  Ireland  they  formed  the  great  bulk  of  the 
population.  With  a  monarch  of  their  own  on  the  throne,  they 
now  felt  their  former  dominion  secured.  James  was  not  want- 
ing in  efforts  to  advance  the  cause.  He  tilled  vacant  places 
with  papists  and  others  on  whom  he  could  rely  for  support. 
He  new  modelled  the  high  commission  court-  made  the  infamous 
Jeffries  one  ot  its  judges,  and  gave  it  unhmited  power  for  search- 
ing out  and  punishmg  ecclesiastical  offences.  The  dissenter? 
suffered  severely.  The  quarters  of  several  hundred  persons 
were  seen  hung  up  over  the  country.  Finding  opposition  arise 
in  the  church,  James  hoped  to  gain  the  assistance  of  the  dis- 
senters, and  courted  them,  and  that  they  might  be  pleased,  and 
the  papists  favoured,  he  published  a  declaration  suspending  all 
penal  laws  on  religion,  abolishing  all  tests,  and  declaring  all  hig 
subjects  equally  capable  of  employment  in  his  service.  Thi§ 
he  required  all  the  clergy  to  read  from  their  pulpits.  The 
episcopalians  refused.  A  general  meetmg  of  bishops  and 
clergy  was  held  in  London,  and  a  petition  was  framed  beseech- 
ing the  King  not  to  insist  upon  it.  It  was  signed  by  seven 
bishops  who  were  soon  committed  to  the  Tower.  After  a  long 
trial  at  Westminster  for  rebellion,  they  were  acquitted.  Only 
four  in  London  read  the  declaration  and  but  about  200  in  the 
kingdom.  All  the  protestants  now  once  more  united,  com- 
bined together,  boldly  dethroned  their  monarch,  and  forever 
excluded  the  papists  from  succession  to  the  crown.  William, 
prince  of  Orange,  son-in-law  to  James,  was  invited  to  take  the 
throne.  James  saw  his  danger,  and  endeavoured  to  quiet  his 
disaffected  subjects,  but  it  Avas  too  late.  William  was  received 
with  open  arms,  and  James  fled  to  France. 

This  great  event  which  happened  A.  D.  one  thousand  six 
hundred  find  eighty-eight,  is  railed  in  the  English  History,  Tup 
REVOLUTION.  It  firmly  secured  the  liberty  of  the  protestants. 
The  catholics  were  by  a  bill  in  parliament,  forever  excluded 
from  holding  any  office  in  the  nation.  Episcopacy  was  estab- 
lished as  the  religion  of  the  state.  Free  toleration  was  granted 
to  all  protestant  dissenters  from  the  church  of  England,  except- 
ing Socinians.  This  is  hailed  by  English  protestants  as  the 
most  glorious  epoch  in  their  history. 

From  this  event  to  the  present  time,  the  church  of  England 
has  moved  on  with  considerable  uniformity,  without  any  ma- 
terial alterations  in  her  government  and  discipline. 

Some  trouble  she  early  received  from  a  few  leading  bishops, 
who  were  wilhng  William  should  govern,  but  who  refused  \p 


I 


316  CHURCH   OF   ENGLAND.  PeRIOD   IIL 

fake  the  oath  to  him,  because  James  was  alive  and  must  remain 
nntil  death  their  rightful  sovereign.  These  were  called  non- 
jurors. They  retired  from  their  sees  into  Scotland,  and  sunk 
into  poverty  and  disgrace.  Some  also  from  James  and  his  party, 
who  made  a  number  of  efforts  to  regain  dominion. 

William  and  Mary  were  invited  to  the  throne  by  the  most 
religious  part  of  the  nation,  and  they  made  early  and  resolute 
efforts  to  reform  the  morals  of  the  people.  In  these  they 
were  supported  by  Burnet,  Bishop  of  Sarum,  the  famous  author 
ot  the  history  of  the  reformation,  and  of  an  exposition  of  the 
thirty-nine  articles.  Numerous  societies  were  formed  through- 
out the  kingdom  for  the  suppression  of  vice  of  every  descrip- 
tion. Fifteen  new  bishops  were  constituted ;  Dr.  Tillotson  was 
made  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Dr.  Sharp  of  York. 
Their  learning  was  great,  their  conduct  exemplary.  They  be- 
came preaching  bishops,  and  visited  their  dioceses  with  dili- 
gence, and  laboured  much  for  the  instruction  and  reformation 
of  the  people  ;  and  produced  what  has  been  called,  "  the 
golden  age  of  episcopacy." 

The  establishment  became  divided  into  two  parties,  the  high. 
church,  and  the  low  church.  The  former  contended  for  the 
divine  right  of  episcopacy,  and  would  raise  it  to  an  absolute 
independence  of  human  power.  These  were  disposed  to  treat 
dissenters,  as  the  nonconformists  were  now  called,  with  great 
severity.  The  latter,  considered  episcopacy  as  a  mere  human, 
institution,  excellent  indeed,  but  not  essential  ;  viewed  presby- 
terian  ordination  valid,  and  exercised  a  spirit  of  moderation 
and  charity  toward  dissenters.  These  had  the  power  in  their 
hands  in  the  days  oi  William,  and  were  branded  by  the  high 
church  as  puritanical.  Violent  disputes  between  these  partieSj^ 
agitated  the  whole  of  the  reign  of  Q,aeen  Anne,  destroyed  the 
religion,  and  poisoned  the  social  intercourse  of  every  village, 
A  sermon  preached  by  Hoadly,  afterwards  bishop  of  Bangor, 
asserting  that  it  was  lawful,  yea,  a  duty,  to  resist  tyrants,  threw 
the  high  church  party  into  great  rage.  They  were  patronized 
by  the  queen,  and  their  rage  was  blown  into  fury  by  one  Sa- 
cheverel,  a  loud  frothy  partisan.  The  low  church  were 
shamefully  abused,  and  the  dissenters  were  treated  as  the  off- 
scouring  of  the  earth.  During  the  reign  of  George  I.,  who 
came  to  the  throne  in  1714,  an  attempt  was  made  by  archbishop 
Wake,  to  unite  the  English  and  Gallican  churches,  but  it  soon 
came  to  nought.  The  church  of  England  was  also  agitated 
with  the  Bangorian  controversy,  occasioned  by  Hoadly,  then 
hishop  of  Bangofs  who  declared  in  a  sermon  before  tho  king,  that 


Chap.  18.  sangorian  controversy.  31^ 

Christ's  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,  and  inveighed  against 
the  temporal  power  of  bishops,  and  the  regal  supremacy  in  ec- 
clesiastical concerns.  The  convocation  fell  upon  him  with  vio- 
lence, but  he  was  protected  by  the  king  ;  and  the  convocation 
have,  from  that  period  to  this,  only  been  permitted  to  assemble 
and  adjourn,  without  transacting  any  business.  By  George, 
the  low  church  party  were  exalted  to  the  highest  places  of 
power  and  trust.  When  his  successor  came  to  the  throne, 
iheir  rivals  endeavoured  to  gain  ascendancy,  but  were  sup- 
pressed, by  his  respect  for  religious  liberty. 

Anew  host  of  infidels  led  on  by  Bolingbroke,  Collins,  Tindal, 
Chubb, Wollaston,  Hume  and  others,  threw,  at  this  time,  poison 
into  the  waters  of  the  nation,  and  multitudes,  especially  of  the 
nobility,  drank  deep,  and  set  themselves  against  the  Lord,  and 
against  his  anointed.  But  they  were  met  by  Butler,  Chandler, 
and  other  able  defenders  of  Christianity,  in  the  establishment, 
and  among  the  dissenters.  In  resisting,  however,  the  arts  of 
infidelity,  and  in  delivering,  as  they  did  mere  moral  essays,  in- 
stead of  the  doctrines  of  the  cross,  the  common  people  in  the 
church  of  England,  were  almost  wholly  neglected  by  her  lead- 
ing divines,  and  were  fast  sinking  into  a  state  of  practical  athe- 
ism, when  those  wonderful  men,  Whitfield,  and  Wesley,  arose^ 
and  by  astonishing  boldness  and  zeal,  arrested  the  attention  of 
thousands  on  thousands  to  divine  things.  Their  efforts  result- 
ed in  a  great  increase  of  vital  piety  throughout  the  nation,  and 
a  dismemberment  of  a  vast  body  from  the  establishment.  Their 
followers  were  chiefl}'  among  the  common  people.  A  noble 
lady,  however,  wife  of  the  earl  of  Huntingdon,  became  their 
open  advocate,  erected  numerous  chapels  throughout  the  king- 
dom, for  such  as  preached  the  truth  with  plainness  and  power? 
and  opened  her  palace  in  the  park,  for  the  great  and  noble  to 
Hear  them  on  Sabbath  evenings. 

The  high  church  party  which  had  been  out  of  favour  many 
years  from  its  attachment  to  the  fallen  house  of  Stuart,  be- 
came popular  upon  the  accession  of  George  HI.,  from  express* 
ing  a  warm  attachment  to  the  house  of  Hanover,  and  opposing 
the  American  revolution.  In  1772,  a  large  body  of  the  es- 
tablished clergy  petitioned  parliament  to  be  released  from  sub- 
scription to  the  articles  and  liturgy  of  the  church,  but  were 
unsuccessful.  The  dissenters  also,  frequently  petitioned  for  a 
repeal  of  the  test  acts,  but  in  vain.  The  catholics  were  the 
subjects  of  severe  persecution.  A  mob,  under  lord  George 
Gordon,  committed,  in  1780,  shameful  outrages  upon  them. 
The  French  revolution,  was  not  without  its  demoralizing  effects- 

27* 


i 


318  CHURCH    OE    ENGLAND^  PeRICD   IIL 

upon  the  English  nation.  But  it  produced  also  a  greater  at- 
tachment to  the  church,  and  increased  the  popularity  of  the 
high  church  party,  and  all  who  opposed  the  extension  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty.  Of  late  the  bishops  have  been  invested 
with  new  authority  over  the  inferior  clergy,  and  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  church  has  been  rendered  more  despotic. 

The  high  church  are  patronised  by  the  present  monarchy, 
and  gain  the  important  vacancies.  With  them  arminianism  is 
the  ruling  principle,  and  religion  is  very  low.  Power,  pleasure, 
wealth  and  splendour,  engross  to  a  great  degree,  bishops  and 
ministers.  Few  compose  the  sermons  they  preach.  High 
preferments  are  political  promotions,  conferred  to  secure 
friends  to  the  reigning  administration.  The  low  church  party 
are  moderately  calvinistic,  and  exhibit  much  genuine  piety. 
The  number  of  their  clergy  is  not  far  from  1800.  These  two 
parties  now  differ  on  the  meaning  of  the  thirty-nine  articles, 
and  on  all  the  great  means  of  promoting  vital  piety  and  extend- 
ing true  religion — particularly,  on  the  importance  and  neces- 
sity of  circulating  the  Bible,  accompanied  by.  the  prayer  book. 
Both  express  and  feel  a  warm  attachment  and  veneration  for 
the  establishment,  but  the  latter  complain  of  church  patronage, 
slight  examination  for  orders,  non-residence  of  clergymen j. 
want  of  churches,  wealth  of  the  bishops,  and  poverty  of  the 
clergy,  and  call  loudly  for  reform. 

Ireland  remains  to  this  day,  in  a  deplorable  slate  of  igno- 
rance and  superstition.  The  episcopal  church  has,  of  late, 
been  gaining  ground  through  the  exertion  of  her  clergy,  the 
circulation  of  the  Bible,  and  the  establishment  of  Sabbath- 
schools. 

The  church  of  England  has  many  splendid  establishments 
in  the  British  colonies,  in  the  East  and  West. 

The  king  is  her  temporal  head.  He  appoints  her  bishops 
She  has  2  archbishops,  26  bishops,  who  are  all  but  one,  peers 
of  the  realm,  60  arch-deacons  or  bishops'  deputies,  18,000  cler- 
gy, 10,600  livings,  1000  of  which,  are  in  the  gift  of  the  king; 
a  population  of  five  millions,  and  a  revenue  of  three  millions 
Sterling.  Her  bishops  have  vast  incomes,  but  the  mass  of  her 
clergy,  are  confined  to  an  hundred  pounds.  The  church  of 
Ireland  has  4  archbishops  and  18  bishops  ;  few  of  whom,  how- 
ever, reside  in  the  country.  Each  bishop  has  a  chapter  or 
council  to  assist  him,  and  each  chapter  has  a  deauo  A  rector 
is  a  clergyman,  holding  a  living  of  which  the  tithes  are  entire. 
A  vicar,  is  one  who  holds  a  living  where  the  tithes  have  pass- 
ed into  secular  hands.     A  curate,  is  a  minister.,  subject  to  n. 


Chap.  18.  its  organization,  distinguished  divines.  319 

rector  or  vicar.  A  deacoDt  is  a  clergyman  of  limited  qualificoi'- 
tions,  licensed  to  preach,  but  not  to  administer  the  Lord's  sup- 
per. To  support  these  clergy,  the  whole  nation  contribute 
their  quota  in  tithes  and  church  rates. 

An  assembly  of  the  clergy  of  England,  for  consultation  upon 
ecclesiastical  matters,  is  called  a  convocation.  It  consists  of 
two  houses.  In  the  upper  house,  sit  the  archbishops  and  bish- 
ops ;  in  the  lower,  the  clergy,  represented  by  their  proctors, — 
in  all  143  divines.  It  meets  on  the  second  day  of  every  ses- 
sion of  parliament ;  but  has  not  been  permitted  by  the  king 
for  70  years,  to  transact  any  business,  and  immediately  adjourns. 
The  dean  and  chapter  are  composed  of  a  number  of  canons  or 
prebendaries,  and  form  the  bishop's  court,  taking  cognizance  of 
all  ecclesiastical  oifences.  The  leading  principle  of  the  church 
of  England,  is  the  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures,  as  a  rule  of 
faith  and  practice.  Her  doctrines  are  contained  in^  the  book 
of  Homilies,  consisting  of  short  doctrinal  discourses,  and  in  the 
ihirty-nine  articles,  which,  with  the  three  creeds  and  cate- 
chism, are  inserted  in  the  book  of  common  prayer.  The  ba- 
sis of  her  articles  was  laid  by  Cranmer,  in  the  reign  of  Ed- 
ward VI.,  and  were  passed  in  the  present  state  in  convocation, 
and  sanctioned  by  royal  authority  in  1562.  All  persons 
who  are  admitted  to  holy  orders,  must  subscribe  them  exanimo« 
Every  person  who  pays  his  tithes  and  taxes,  is  legally  a  mem- 
ber of  the  church  in  full  communion.  Her  liturgy  was  com- 
posed in  1647.  Her  festivals  are  held  on  what  are  called  her 
saints'  days,  and  are  numerous. 

Her  universities  have  retained  the  great  principles  of  th£ 
reformation,  while  most  of  the  universities  on  the  continent, 
have  utterly  renounced  them. 

This  portion  of  the  Christian  Church  has  embraced  in  hei 
bosom  a  vast  body  of  the  faithful  followers  of  the  divine  Redeemer, 
Many  of  her  divines  have  been  great  ornaments  to  the  nation  and 
distinguished  lights  in  the  world.  Besides  those  noblemen  who 
fought  the  battles  of  the  Reformation  the  names  of  Usher,^ 
Hall,b  Jeremy  Taylor,^  Stillingfleet,^  Hammond,^  Pearson,^  Bar- 

[a]  Archbishop  of  Armagh  in  Ireland  during  the  reigns  of  James  and  Charles 
I.,  a  prelate  of  distinguished  learning  and  piety.  He  did  much  to  enlighten  his 
miserable  contrymeii  and  withstand  the  catholics.  His  great  work  was  "  An- 
nals of  the  Old  and  New  Testament."  He  died  March  21,  1655,  ag.  80,  and 
was  buried  by  Cromwell  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

[b]  Bishop  of  Norwich.  He  died  Sept.  8,  1656,  leaving  many  valuable  workS;, 
particularly  his  Meditations. 

[c]  Author  of  "  Holy  living  and  dying"  and  some  much  admired  sermons. 
He  died  Aug.  13,  1667,  bishop  of  Doivn  and  Connor  and  Vice  ChfmeeHorof  the 
T'mversity  of  Dublin.. 


^3^0  CHURCH   OP    ENGLAND*  PeRIOD  ITI; 

a'Ow,§^  Tillotson,^  Prideaux,i  Pocock,i  South,^  Burnet,^  Whitby ,^» 
Clarke,"  Berkley,"  Butler,P  Lowth,q  Seeker,"*  Paley,s  Newton,^ 
Scott,"  Buchanan,^  will  ever  command  the  veneration  and  love 
of  all  who  delight  to  behold  distinguished  talent  consecrated  to 
^he  best  of  causes. 

Patrick,  Hammond,  Whitby  and  Scott  have  been  her  most 
^ble  commentators. 

For  her  many  noble,  pious,  charitable  associations,  especially 
for  the  recent  efforts  of  some  of  her  members  in  the  Bible,  Mis- 
sionary and  Tract  cause,  thousands  and  millions  will  rise  up  and 
call  her  blessed. 

\d]  Bishop  of  Worcester  and  author  of  "Origines  Sacrte,  or  a  rational  ac- 
count of  natural  and  revealed  religion"  and  many  able  controversial  pieces 
against  the  Deists,  Socinians,  Papists  and  Dissenters.     Died  March  27,  1699. 

[e]  Author  of  "  a  paraphrase  and  annotation  on  the  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  apart  of  the  Old,"  a- work  of  merit.    Died,  1660. 

If]  Bishop  of  Chester,  author  of  an  Exposition  on  the  creed.     Died,  1686. 

[g-J  Head  of  the  English  divines.  He  was  also  a  great  mathematician.  His  ser- 
mons contain  the  greatest  number  of  thoughts  of  any  in  the  language.  He  died  Vice 
Chancellor  of  Trinity  College  May  4,  1677,  ag.  47,  and  was  buried  in  Westmins- 
ter Abbey. 

[h]  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  at  the  Revolution.  He  was  born  Oct.  1680; 
and  educated  among  the  dissenters.  At  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.  he  was 
promoted  with  other  divines  then  called  Latitudinarian.  He  was  the  most  pop- 
ular preacher  of  his  day.  He  laid  aside  all  the  ancient  technicalities  of  Theolo- 
gy and  expressed  himself  with  much  simplicity  and  ease  in  the  language  of  com- 
mon sense.  He  introduced  into  Engltnd  the  custom  of  preaching  by  notes. 
His  sermons  are  still  much  read  and  admired.  Addison  regarded  them  as  af- 
fording the  best  standard  of  the  English  language.     Died,  1694. 

[i]  Dean  of  Norwich,  author  of  Connexion  between  sacred  and  profane  history. 
Died,  1724. 

[j]  Bishop  of  Ossory.  He  travelled  over  Palestine  and  the  East  and  publish- 
ed his  observations,  throwing  much  light  on  the  sacred  scriptui-es.     Died,  1765. 

[k]  A  preacher  of  great  notoriety,  because  of  eminent  learning  and  keen  sa- 
tire.    His  sermons  are  extant  in  6  vols   8vo,     Died,  1716, 

[/]  Bishop  of  Salisbury.  Author  of  a  History  of  the  Reformation  and  of  a 
History  of  his  own  times. 

[mj  Author  of  a  paraphrase  and  commentary  on  the  New  Testament.  Died, 
1 726. 

[n]  A  distinguished  metaphysician.     Died,  1729. 

[o]  Bishop  of  Cloyne,  and  author  of  the  minute  philosopher     Died,  1753. 

[p]  Bishop  of  Durham,  and  author  of  the  analogy  of  religion  natural  and  re- 
vealed to  the  course  of  nature.     Died  1752. 

[q]  Bishop  of  London,  and  author  of  Lectures  on  the  Poetry  of  the  Hebrews 
and  a  translation  of  Isaiah.     Died  Nov.  1787,  ag.  76. 

[r]  Bishop  of  Oxford,  an  elegant  scholar,  eloquent  preacher  and  sound  di- 
vine.    Died  1768. 

[s]  Author  of  Natural  Theology,  Moral  Philosophy,  Horae  Paulinae,  Eviden- 
ces of  Christianity  and  other  very  valuable  works.     Died  June  25,  1805,  ag.  61. 

[t]  A  wonder  to  many.  Plucked  by  divine  grace  from  awful  bondage  to  Sa- 
tan, he  became  an  eminent  minister  of  the  gospel  in  London,  and  died,  leaving 
many  valuable  works,  in  1807. 

[u]  The  most  distinguished  practical  commentator  and  expositor  of  the  sacred 
scriptures.  His  commentary  has  had  a  most  extensive  circulation  in  England 
and  America.    His  other  works  are  in  6  vols.     He  died  April  22,  1821,  aged  75. 

[v]  Chaplain  to  the  East  India  Company.    Died,  1815. 


Chap.  19.    pkesbyteriaj^  church  op  Scotland*        32^ 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

'Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland.  First  Geiieral  Assembly.  £5* 
tablished  by  law.  Suppressed  by  Charles  I.  Re-established  and 
prosperous  during  the  Protectorate  Solemn  Lengue  and  Co- 
ruenant.  Gains  a  free  toleration  in  the  Revolution.  SecederSj 
Burghers, and  Anti- Burghers.  Glassites  Presbytery  of  relief, 
Scotch  character.     Presbyterian  Discipline. 

'English  Presbyterians  and  Independents.  Early  distinguished 
Divines,  Baxter,  <JWfn,  Flavel,  Bates,  Horie.  Number  and 
state  of  the  Dissenters  after  the  Revolution.  Henry,  WattSg 
Doddridge.  Spread  of  Ariamsm,  and  decline,  of  the  Presbytc 
rians.     Increase  and  flourishing  state  of  the  Independents. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland  began  to  assume  a  re- 
gular form  about  the  year  1560,  The  reformation  in  that  coun^ 
try  was  vastly  greater  than  in  England  ;  both  as  there  was  an 
entire  change  of  religious  sentiment  and  feeling,  and  also  of 
church  government.  In  England,  the  whole  exterior  of  the 
Roman  church  remained.  In  Scotland,  it  was  all  abolished. 
*'  Abbies,  cathedrals,  churches,  libraries,  records  and  even  the 
sepulchres  of  the  dead,  perished  in  one  common  ruin." 

The  great  reformer,  John  Knox  had  been  at  Geneva,  the 
residence  of  Calvin,  and  had  acquired  an  attachment  to  the 
presbyterian  government,  and  an  hatred  of  every  thing  pertain- 
ing to  episcopacy  and  popery.  The  Scottish  nubility  were  wil- 
ling to  see  the  dignified  clergy  pulled  down^  for  they  hated  their 
persons  and  coveted  their  wealth,  and  the  common  people  clap- 
ped their  hands  to  see  the  reformers  levelling  to  the  dust  that 
tremendous  hierarchy  which  had  been  so  oppressive. 

Mary,  the  queen,  made  great  efforts  to  re-establish, the  papal 
dominion,  but  her  subjects  had  the  boldness  to  tell  her  that  they 
abhorred  her  religion  ;  and  even  rendered  it  difficult  for  her  to 
worship  according  to  the  education  she  had  received,  and  what 
she  declared  to  be  the  dictates  of  her  own  conscience.* 

*  The  following  anecdote  shows  the  boldness  of  John  Knox  towards  the 
Queen.  "  After  Mary  had  been  dancing  at  a  ball  till  after  midnight,  Knox  took 
for  his  text  Psalm  II,  "  B*-  wise  therefore,  O  ye  kin^s,"  and  inveighed  heavily 
against  the  vanity  and  wickedness  of  princes.  The  queen  complained  of  it  to 
bun,  when  Knox  told  her  that,  as  the  wicked  will  not  come  where  they  may  be 
instructed  and  convinced  of  their  faults,  the  providence  of  God  had  so  ordered  it 
that  they  should  hear  of  their  sins  and  reproofs  by  scandalous  reports  ; — that  no 
doubt  Herod  was  told  that  Christ  called  him  a  fox,  but  he  was  not  told  of  the 
«in  which  he  committed  in  cuttin*  off  John  Baptist's  head,  to  recompense  the 
djfncing  of  a  harlot's  daughter.    When  the  ladles  of  the  Court  appeared  in  a!i. 


•322         PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  OF   SCOTLAND.     PeRIOD  III. 

The  number  of  protestant  clergy  was  for  a  time  very  small^ 
anfl  they  were  widely  scattered.  Knox  convened  them  in  Ge- 
neral Assembly,  Dec.  20,  1560  ;  but  it  was  a  feeble  and  irregular 
body  which  effected  but  little.  He  also  composed  a  book  of 
digciplme  which  should  give  efficiency  to  their  government,  and 
he  labored  to  get  possession  of  the  old  ecclesiastical  revenues: 
but  these  the  nobility,  having  once  seized,  would  not  relinquish. 
He  met  with  no  difficulty  however,  in  obtaining  for  his  govern- 
znent  and  all  its  acts  the  sanction  of  public  authority,  and  the 
entire  abolition  of  popery. 

Those  who  had  seized  the  estates  of  the  popish  bishops,  con- 
trived to  uphold  the  name  and  semblance  of  the  office.  This 
occasioned  violent  contention.  At  length  an  act  was  passed  in 
the  general  assembly  in  1581,  declaring  the  office  of  bishop  to 
iiave  neither  foundation  nor  warrant  in  the  church  of  God. 
And  in  1592,  the  presbyterian  government  was  established  bj^ 
iaw. 

James  V.  revived  the  office  of  bishop,  though  he  had  been 
educated  m  the  kirk  of  Scotland,  which  he  pronounced  the 
purest  church  on  earth  ;  but  he  attached  to  it  no  ecclesiastical 
jurisdiction  or  pre  eminence,  only  a  little  revenue  and  a  seat  in 
|)arliament.  But  when  he  ascended  the  English  throne  in  1603 
and  witnessed  the  splendour  of  the  English  church  and  its  devo- 
tedness  to  him,  he  became  the  warm  friend  of  episcopacy  and 
l-esolved  to  make  Scotland  conform.  Three  Scotch  bishops 
were  consecrated  at  London.  The  Scotch  clergy  were  com- 
Cianded  to  receive  orders  from  them,  and  the  churches  were 
compelled  to  submit  to  the  episcopal  ceremonies.  The  old 
presbyterians  bowed  the  neck  with  the  greatest  abhorrence, 
until  Charles  I.  pressed  them  beyond  what  they  would  bear. 
A  new  liturgy  was  appoint;'d  to  be  read  in  all  the  churches, 
July  23,  1637.  At  the  great  church  in  Edinburgh  were  as- 
sembled archbishops  and  bishops,  and  the  lords  of  the  session, 
and  magistrates  of  the  city  But  when  the  dean  began  to  read, 
th<-  populace  clapped  their  hands  and  cried,  "a  pope,  a  pope/ 
down  with  antichrist,'*^  and  greatly  endangered  the  lives  of  the 
bishops.  Other  riots  ensued  ;  the  flames  of  civil  war  were 
Itindled  throughout   Great  Britain  ;   monarchy  and   episcopacy 

the  elegance  of  dress,  which  Mary  brought  with  her  from  France,  Knox  told 
them  it  was  all  very  pleasant,  if  it  would  always  last  and  they  could  go  to  hea- 
ven in  all  that  gear.  Hut  fie  on  that  knave  death,  said  he,  which  will  come 
whether  we  will  or  not,  and  when  he  hath  laid  an  arrest,  then  foul  worms  will 
he  busy  with  that  flesh,  be  it  never  so  fair  and  tender  ;  and  the  silly  soul,  I  fear, 
will  be  so  feeble  that  it  can  neither  carry  away  with  it  gold,  garnishing,  fitT; 
l)isbing,  pearls,  nor  precious  stones." 


Chap.  19.   solemn  league  and  covenant.       323 

were  overthrown  and  presbyterianism  was  re-established  with 
new  vigor,  1648. 

During  their  struggle  the  Scotch  renewed  iu  1638,  their  sub- 
scription to  their  confession  of  faith  or  national  covenant,  made 
soon  after  the  formation  of  the  General  Assembly,  in  which 
they  condemned  all  episcopal  government  and  forms,  and  so- 
lemnly bound  themselves  to  resist  all  innovations  in  religion. 
And  in  1643  they  formed  with  the  puritans  of  England  and  Ire- 
land, ti:e  solkmn  league  and  covenant,  in  which  they  abjured 
popery  and  combined  for  mutual  defence. 

The  Scotch  presbyterians  never  loved  Cromwell,  for  he 
favored  the  independents ;  and  for  some  attempts  to  restore  the 
king  felt  his  vengeance  ;  yet  they  flourished  much  during  the 
protectorate. 

At  the  restoration  episcopacy  was  re-established.  Sharpe, 
an  apostate  from  presbytery,  was  made  archbishop  of  St.  An- 
drews. An  act  was  passed,  obliging  all  the  ministers  of  Scot- 
land "to  receive  a  presentation  to  their  livings  from  their  lay 
patrons,  and  institution  from  the  bishops."  Two  hundred 
churches  were  shut  up  in  one  day.  The  exiled  ministers 
preached  in  conventicles  and  fields  to  great  multitudes  ;  but  the 
king's  troops  were  sent  against  them  and  their  adherents,  and 
the  greatest  severities  were  used  to  force  them  into  the  episco- 
pal church.  Awful  were  the  scenes  that  were  transacted.  At 
length,  by  royal  indulgence,  the  ejected  ministers  were  allowed 
to  fill  some  of  the  pulpits  ;  but  this  was  not  accepted  by  num- 
bers, who,  under  Richard  Cameron,  and  from  him  called  Came- 
ronians,  fought  in  defence  of  their  principles. 

At  the  revolution,  episcopacy  was  abolished  in  Scotland,  and 
presbyterianism  firmly  established.  The  commissioners  from 
a  convention  of  the  states  declared  to  the  king,  "  that  prelacy, 
and  the  superiority  of  any  office  above  presbyteries,  is  and  has 
been  a  great  and  insupportable  burden  to  this  nation,  and  con- 
trary to  the  inclinations  of  the  generality  of  the  people,  ever 
since  the  reformation  ;  they  having  reformed  popery  by  pres- 
bytery, and  that  prelacy  ought  to  be  abolished."  An  act  was 
accordingly  passed  in  the  Scotch  parliament,  abolishing  episco- 
pacy and  the  pre-eminence  of  any  orders  in  the  church  above 
that  of  presbyters. 

At  the  union  of  Scotland  and  England,  the  Scotch  demanded 
the  firm  establishment  of  presbyterianism,  as  the  unalterable 
form  of  government  in  the  church  of  Scotland  ;  which  was 
granted  by  the  parliament  of  England.  A  clause  was  also  in- 
serted in  the  articles  of  union,  providing  that  "no  test  or  sutf- 


324     PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  OP  SCOTLAND.  PeRIOD  III. 

Scription  should  ever  be  imposed  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Scotch  church,  contrary  to  their  presbyterian  establishment.'' 
By  these  acts,  the  episcopahans  of  England  consented  that 
presbyterians  should  reign  in  the  north,  while  presbyterians 
also  consented  that  episcopacy  should  be  established  in  the 
south. 

But  the  Scotch  w«^re  soon  chagrined  and  cast  down  ;  for  as 
they  enjoyed  toleration  in  England,  the  English  were  resolved 
that  the  episcopalians  should  enjoy  the  same  in  Scotland,  and 
carried  a  bill  to  this  purpose  through  the  parliament,  forbidding 
the  secular  power  to  touch  any  but  papists  and  blasphemers. 

It  had  ever  been  a  fundamental  principle  of  presbyterianism, 
that  the  parishes  had  a  right,  from  Scripture,  to  choose  their 
own  pastors ;  but  a  bill  was  passed  in  parliament  in  the  reign  of 
Queen  Anne,  entitling  a  lay  patron  to  nominate  the  minister ; 
thus  introducing  to  the  churches  men  whose  chief  recommenda- 
tion was  subserviency  to  some  rich  patron,  who  might  be  of  infi- 
del sentiments,  and  wounding  the  consciences  of  a  large  portion 
of  the  church  of  Scotland,  and  producing  lasting  dissensions. 

In  1712  was  passed  in  the  British  parliament,  the  abjuration 
oath;  and  it  was  required  not  only  of  all  who  held  offices,  but 
of  all  the  clergy.  As  it  included  the  approbation  and  support  of 
episcopacy,  and  prevented  their  seeking  any  further  reformation, 
but  few  ministers  would  take  it,  though  the  refusal  exposed 
them  to  a  fine  of  five  hundred  pounds.  This  was  for  a  long 
time  very  harassing  and  distressing  to  the  Scotch  churches. 

A  great  excitement  was  produced  in  the  Scotch  church  in 
1718,  concerning  a  book  entitled  "The  Marrow  of  Modern 
Divinity,"  which  was  viewed  by  many  as  heretical ;  and  shortly 
after,  by  the  opinions  of  Professor  Simpson,  who  was  consider- 
ed an  Arian.  But  greater  internal  commotions  were  ex  ited  in 
1 732,  by  the  secession  of  Ebenezer  Erskine  and  a  numerous  body 
of  ministers  and  christians,  from  the  communion  of  the  established 
church,  because  of  the  law  of  patronage.  For  preaching  boldly 
against  this,  Mr.  E.  and  four  other  ministers  were  deposed  by 
the  general  assembly  from  the  ministry.  They  then  formed 
themselves  into  a  distinct  body,  called  the  Associated  Presby- 
tery, and  being  popular  men,  and  having  a  popular  cause,  they 
rapidly  increased,  and  in  1745  formed  three  presbyteries  under 
one  synod,  But  they  fell  into  a  violent  contention  respecting 
the  burgess  oath,  in  some  of  the  royal  boroughs  of  Scotland, 
and  split  into  two  parties,  called  burghers  and  anti-burghers. 

About  the  same  time  arose  the  Glassites,  or  Mr.  Robert 
Qlass  c^nd  his  followers,  who  plead  for  independency  ;  bat  wjio 


Chap.  19.  distinguished  ministers.  325 

united  with  Robert  Sandeman,  of  England,  in  his  peculiar  views 
of  faith  *  and  become  a  very  narrow  and  exclusive  sect. 

In  1752  arose  the  presbytery  of  relief:  established  to  afford 
relief  to  parishes  which  have  ministers  imposed  on  them  by 
their  patrons  against  their  choice. 

The  Scotch  have  been  a  very  intelligent  and  pious  people. 
They  have  adhered  remarkably  to  the  great  doctrines  of  the 
reformation.  The  Sabbath  they  have  rigidly  observed.  To 
catechetical  instruction  they  have  attended  more  strictly  than 
any  part  of  the  Christian  church.  Some  of  their  ministers  have 
been  pious  and  eminently  faithful  men.  Others  have  attained 
to  high  rank  in  the  literary  world.  Among  them  may  be  men- 
tioned Robert  Fleming,  Thomas  Halyburton,t  Thomas  Bos- 
ton,! J.  M'Laurin,  the  Erskmes,  Dr.  Robertson  §  Dr.  Mc- 
Knight,ll  Walker,*"^  Campbell, tt  and  Dr.  Blair,  as  some  of  the 
most  distinguished.  The  age  of  George  I.  is  commonly  viewed 
as  the  period  of  brightest  glory  ;  for  the  Scotch  church  then 
enjoyed  great  peace  and  quietness,  had  many  learned  men,  and 
a  great  body  of  devoted  Christians  in  her  bosom.  In  1742  a 
powerful  and  extensive  revival  of  religion  commenced  and 
spread  wide  in  the  Scotch  churches.  It  was  a  season  of  great 
solemnity  and  deep  spirituality.  The  churches  walked  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  and  the  comforts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  the 
seceders  did  not  favour  it,  being  actuated  too  much  by  the 
spirit  of  secession. 

For  the  last  half  century  the  leading  clergy  and  laity  have  de- 
parted from  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ,  being  spoiled  through 
philosophy  and  vain  deceit.  The  general  assembly  has  pre- 
sented a  considerable  majority  approving  sentiments  and  prac- 
tices in  opposition  to  which  the  ancient  covenanters  would  have 
laid  down  their  lives,  Blinisters  selected  by  patrons  have  been 
placed  over  many  of  their  churches  against  their  consent, 
driving  most  of  their  pious  members  into  the  churches  of  the 
Seceders.     The  state  of  the  church  has  lately  been  improving. 

*  "  That  justifying  faith  is  a  mere  act  of  the  understanding,  a  merely  specula- 
tive belief."  Mr.  Sandeman  removed  to  America  in  1764,  and  gathered  p, 
church  on  this  principle,  at  Danbury,  Ct.     Mr.  Glass  died  at  Dundee,  1773. 

t  A  most  able  opponent  of  the  Deists.  He  was  a  professor  of  Divinity  at  St. 
Andrews. 

t Minister  of  Etterick,  author  of  "Human  Nature  in  its  Fourfold  Estate  ;'* 
one  of  the  most  useful  books  in  the  Christian  world.     Died  1732. 

$  Principal  of  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  and  author  of  History  of  Scotlanfl 
and  Charles  V.     Died  June,  1793. 
I      II  Author  of  the  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  and  a  new  translation  of  the  Epistles. 

**  An  eminently  evangelical  minister,  in  Edinburgh. 

tt  Professor  of  Church  History  at  St.  Andrews,  and  author  of  a  discourse  oa 
^liifj^cles.    Died,  1757. 


326  ENGLISH  DISSENTERS.  PeRIOD  III. 

The  confession  and  catechisms  of  the  church  of  Scotland  are 
strictly  Calvinistic.  Evftry  minister  is  assisted  in  the  govern- 
ment  of  his  own  church  by  a  body  of  ruling  elders.  This  body 
forms  the  kirk  session.  The  next  judicatory  is  a  presbytery, 
composed  of  a  few  neighbouring  ministers  and  delegates  of 
elders.  The  next,  a  provincial  synod.  The  highest  is  the 
general  assembly,  composed  of  delegates  from  each  presbytery, 
and  commissioners  from  the  universities  and  royal  boroughs. 
Its  president  is  a  nobleman  appointed  by  the  king. 

The  original  puritans,  who  were  strict  presbyterians,  and  the 
independents,  who  followed  Brown  and  Robinson  in  their  views 
of  church  government  gained  a  legal  toleration  in  the  revolution 
of  sixteen  hundred  and  eighty-eight.  But  as  their  cause  had 
much  declined  from  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.,  they  entered 
into  an  union  in  1690,  comprised  in  nine  articles,  for  self  preser- 
vation, and  have  since  been  considered  as  one,  though  they  still 
differ  in  church  government. 

Their  day  of  brightest  glory  was  the  age  of  Cromwell.  Some 
of  their  ministers  were  the  most  learned,  pious,  faithful  and  pow- 
erful men  with  which  the  church  of  God  has  ever  been  blessed. 
Among  these  stood  pre-eminent, 

Richard  Baxter. 

He  was  born  at  Rowton,  in  Shropshire,  Nov.  12,  1G15.  His 
father  was  a  farmer ;  and,  because  of  his  low  circumstances, 
Richard  never  went  to  a  university.  His  mind  was  early  im- 
pressed with  the  importance  of  securing  the  salvation  of  his  soul. 
Under  near  views  of  eternity  from  ill  health,  he  read  the  old  pu- 
ritan writers  ;  and,  with  a  spirit  of  ardent  piety  inflamed  and 
directed  by  them,  he  entered  at  21  the  service  of  the  episcopal 
church  at  Dudley.  But  disliking  some  things  there,  he  became 
assistant  to  an  aged  minister  at  Brignorth.  From  thence  he  re- 
moved in  1640  to  Kidderminster,  where  he  preached  the  gospel 
with  great  success.  There  ignorance  and  profaneness  had  long 
reigned  triumphant.  Scarce  a  house  was  to  be  found  in  which 
there  was  family  worship.  When  he  left  it  in  1642  scarce  one 
in  which  there  was  none.  His  labours  there  were  interrupted 
by  the  civil  wars,  and  he  retired  into  a  garrison  and  preached 
for  two  years  to  the  parliament  soldiers.  He  then  became  chap- 
lain in  the  army  and  followed  the  camp,  until  a  dangerous  ill- 
ness compelled  him  to  retire  to  Kidderminster,  where  he  remain- 
ed fourteen  years.  The  act  of  uniformity  separated  him  from 
the  established  church.     A  bishopric  was  offered  iiira  if  he 


Chap.  19.  Baxter,  owex.  327 

would  remain,  but  he  refused  it.  Forbidden  to  preach  in  pub- 
lic, he  did  good  as  he  had  opportunity,  and  for  this  he  was  sub- 
jected to  repeated  exactions,  fines,  imprisonment  and  loss  of 
goods.  Once  he  lay  in  prison  two  years.  The  close  of  life  he 
spent  in  London,  and  when  no  longer  able  to  go  abroad  he 
preached  in  his  own  hired  house.  He  died,  1691,  in  the  76th 
year  of  his  age. 

In  his  person  Baxter  was  tall  and  thin,  with  a  remarkably  ex- 
pressive countenance.  To  talents  of  the  first  order  and  ar- 
dent piety  he  united  an  energy  of  character  seldom  found.  He 
preached  incessantly  when  he  could  and  with  great  power,  and 
he  published  four  folios,  fifty-eight  quartos,  forty-six  octavos  and 
twenty-nine  duodecimos,  besides  single  sermons.  His  Saint's 
Rest  and  Call  to  the  Unconverted  have  been  the  most  useful  of 
uninspired  books.  His  last  words  were  "  I  bless  God  I  have  a 
well  grounded  assurance  of  my  eternal  happiness  and  great 
peace  and  comfort  withiT,."*" 

Another  very  distinguished  divine  of  that  period,  sometimes 
called  the  oracle  of  the  independents,  was, 

John  Owen,  D.  D. 

He  was  of  Welsh  extract  and  was  born  at  Hadham,  1616. 
He  went  to  the  University  of  Oxford,  but,  disgusted  with  the  su- 
perstitious rites  of  Archbishop  Laud,  he  left  College  ;  and  for- 
saken by  his  friends-  he  took  refuge  with  the  parliament  party. 
Here  God  met  him  by  his  grace,  and  constrained  him  to  devote 
his  great  talents  to  his  glory.  For  five  years  he  was  in  deep 
spiritual  anguish.  Under  his  burden  he  went  one  day  to  hear 
Mr.  Calamy,  an  eminent  dissenting  preacher,  when  a  stranger 
entered  the  desk  ;  preached  from  Mat.  viii.  26.,  "  Why  are  ye 
fearful,  O  ye  of  httle  faith  ;"  and  threw  light  and  joy  into  his 
soul.  His  great  learning  and  piety  soon  brought  him  into  pub- 
lic notice.  He  accompanied  Cromwell  into  Ireland,  where  he 
presided  in  the  college  at  Dublin  a  year  and  a  half.  He  was 
then  made  Vice  Chancellor  of  the  University  of  Oxford,  a  post 
which  he  filled  with  great  abihty  for  five  years.  At  the  restora- 
tion of  Charles  II.  he  went  into  retirement,  and  died  Aug.  24, 

-  *  This  eminent  divine  felt  confident  he  could  reconcile  Arminianism  and 
Calvinidm.  While  he  allowed  the  strict  doctrine  of  election  in  regard  to  the 
saved,  he  supposed  that  others  have  common  grace,  by  improving  which  they 
shall  obtain  saving  grace.  He  supposed  also  that  a  saint  might  possess  so  sraaU 
a  degree  of  saving  grace  as  again  to  lose  it.  His  system  has  been  called  Bax- 
terianism,  and  has  been  adopted  by  many  who  were  unwilling  to  be  classed  with 
GaUinists  or  Arminians. 


328  ENGLISPI    DISSENTERS.  PeRIOD    IIF. 

1683,  aged,  67.     His   works  are  exceedingly  valuable.     The 
principal  is,  his  exposition  of  the  Hebrews  in  4  vols,  folio. 

John  Flavel 

Was  another  distinguished  divine  of  that  age,  well  known  in 
the  Christian  world  by  his  ''  Husbandry  spiritualized,"  his  valu- 
able sermons,  and  his  treatise  on  "  Keeping  the  heart."  He 
was  minister  of  Dartmouth,  but  was  cast  out  by  the  act  of  uni- 
formity.    He  died  1691,  aged  63. 

Dr.  William  Bates^ 

Called  by  some  the  dissenting  Melancthon,  died  1699,  aged 
73.     His  works  are  published  in  one  volume,  foho. 

John  Howe 

Was  the  domestic  chaplain  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  After  the 
restoration  he  was  a  silenced  nonconformist,  and  became  only  a 
secret  itinerating  preacher  From  the  act  of  Kmg  James  in 
1687,  givmg  the  dissenters  full  liberty  of  worship,  he  preached 
in  Silver-Street,  in  London,  until  his  death  in  1705,  in  the 
seventy-tifth  year  of  his  age.  His  works  are  in  two  foho  vol- 
umes. His  most  celebrated  pieces  are,  The  Living  Temple, 
his  Blessedness  of  the  Righteous,  "  Delighting  in  God.  and  the 
Redeemer's  tears  wept  over  lost  souls."  For  "greatness  of 
talent,  unfeigned  piety  and  goodness,  the  true  learning  of  a 
Christian  divine,  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  scriptures,  and 
skill  and  excellence  in  preaching,"  he  has  been  thought  to  excel 
all  other  men  which  England  has  produced. 

These  and  other  dissenting  divines  of  tnat  age,  preached  with- 
out notes.  Their  profound,  elaborate  and  eloquent  sermons, 
which  have  been  transmitted  to  us,  were  taken  down  by  steno- 
graphers. 

From  the  ejection  of  the  two  thousand  ministers  to  the  revo- 
lution, was  a  period  of  twenty-six  years.  This  was,  for  the 
most  part,  a  period  of  severe  suffering;  and  before  its  close, 
above  half  these  servants  of  God  had  fallen  asleep,  and  many  of 
their  congregations  were  scattered  The  number  of  dissenters 
liowever,  was  then  great.  In  1715  the  number  of  presbyterian, 
independent,  and  baptist  congregations  in  England  and  Wales, 
w.a9  1150.     The  first  were  double  the  number  and  size  of  the 


Chap.  19.  matthew  henry.  329 

second.     The  third  were  few  and  small.     Their  members  were 

chie6y  merchants,  manufacturers,  mechanics,  and  farmers. 

The  same  things  which  first  drove  the  puritans  from  the 
estabhshment,  continued  to  operate  in  favor  of  dissent  after  the 
revolution,  and  havinsj  liberty  to  congregate  and  being  shut  out 
from  all  the  regular  places  of  worship,  they  made  powerful 
efforts  and  built  them  meeting-houses  in  every  part  of  the  king- 
dom. Excluded  from  the  universities  by  a  test  act,  they  estab- 
lished several  seminaries  for  the  education  of  ministers.  From 
the  act  of  uniformity  to  1694,  they  had  no  public  ordinations. 
Their  ministers  were  set  apart  in  secret,  and  often  in  places 
distant  from  their  congregations.  But  now  they  ventured  gra- 
dually to  ordain  in  public,  and  in  the  places  where  the  candidate 
was  to  minister.  These  ministers  were  supported  by  the  vol- 
untary contributions  of  the  people.  A  spirit  of  union  arose 
among  them,  and  associations  were  formed  for  the  promotion  of 
the  dissenting  interest.  Their  doctrine  was  purely  evangelical, 
and  their  manner  of  preaching  was  after  the  old  puritan  divines, 
plain,  solemn,  and  pungent.  Religion  of  course  flourished  in 
their  churches.  To  public  worship,  family  devotion,  private 
prayer,  and  strict  morality,  both  presbyterians  and  independents 
gave  great  attention  for  many  years. 

Henry,  Watts,  and  Doddridge,  were  for  half  a  century  the 
distinguished  lights  of  this  branch  of  the  Christian  church. 

Matthew  Henry 

Was  the  son  of  Philip  Henry,  an  eminent  non-conformist  who 
was  ejected  from  the  establishment.  At  ten  years  of  age,  he 
had  the  deepest  convictions  of  sin,  and  at  eleven  gave  good 
evidence  of  a  saving  change  of  heart.  His  whole  heart  was. 
from  that  time  upon  the  ministry,  which  he  entered  at  25  years 
of  age,  being  ordained  with  great  privacy,  May  9,  1687,  at 
Chester.  In  his  public  services  he  went  nearly  through  the 
whole  Bible  by  way  of  exposition,  thus  forming  his  invaluable 
commentary.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Hackney,  near  Lon- 
don, where  he  commenced  the  same  work  again,  but  he  was 
removed  to  a  better  world  in  1714,  aged  51 — declaring  in  his 
sickness,  "  that  a  life  spent  in  the  service  of  God  and  communion 
with  him,  is  the  most  pleasant  life  that  any  one  can  live  in  this 
world."  He  was  a  most  able  preacher  as  well  as  commentator. 
He  wrote  no  farther  than  through  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
His  work  was  finished  by  his  brethren  in  the  ministry.     He 

28* 


33(J  ENGLISH  DISSENTER'S.  PERIOD  111 

published  a  small  book  on  prayer,  which  has  been  a  great  guide  'f 
and  help  to  others.  * 

ISAAC    WATTS,    D.   D.  j 

Was  born  at  Southampton,  July  17,  1674.  It  is  related  of  ' 
Ibis  mother,  that,  while  his  father  was  immured  in  prison  for 
nonconformity,  she  sat  on  the  stone  by  the  prison  door,  suck- 
ling her  Isaac,  the  child  of  promise.  At  seven  years  of  age, 
he  composed  hymns.  Observing  his  talents,  some  friends  of- 
fered to  send  him  to  the  University  ;  but  he  chose  to  take  his  i 
lot  among  the  dissenters,  and  went  to  one  of  their  seminaries.  . 
At  the  age  of  19,  he  confessed  Christ.  While  pursuing  his 
studies,  sacred  poetry  much  engaged  his  attention.  The  psalmo- 
dy of  England,  was  early  imported  from  France.  Maret  and 
Beza,  first  published  a  metrical  version  of  the  psalms,  which 
was  generally  sung  to  tunes  in  the  reformed  churches  on  the 
continent.  The  English  Protestants  continued  at  first,  to  chant 
hymns  and  anthems,  as  they  had  been  accustomed  to  in  the 
church  of  Rome.  When  they  were  driven  to  the  continent, 
by  the  persecution  of  bloody  Mary,  they  learned  the  psalmody 
of  the  reformed,  brought  it  back  with  them,  and  procured  its 
adoption  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  It  became  the  psalmody 
of  all  the  English  churches,  for  a  century  and  an  half.  But 
the  version  of  Sternhold  and  Hopkins,  made  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.  was  grating  to  the  ear,  and  some  of  the  noncon- 
formists used  the  Scotch  version,  others,  Patrick's,  others,  the 
more  poetical  one  of  Tate  and  Brady.  But  the  want  of  one 
was  felt,  containing  better  poetry,  and  adapted  more  to  the 
worship  of  a  Christian  church.  On  complaining  of  the  exist- 
ing psalms  to  his  father,  young  Watts  was  desired  to  make  a 
better.  A  hymn  was  soon  produced,  which  received  great  ap- 
probation. Others  followed,  until  his  incomparable  book  of 
psalms  and  hymns  was  produced,  and  this  before  he  was  two 
and  twenty  years  of  age. 

At  the  age  of  24,  he  preached  his  first  sermon,  and  was 
appointed  successor  to  Dr.  Chauncey,  an  independent  minister 
in  London.  But  his  health  soon  failed  him,  and  he  was  laid 
aside  for  four  years.  Sir  Thomas  Abney,  at  this  period  in- 
vited him  into  his  house,  and  paid  him  the  most  aflfectionate  at- 
tentions, during  the  long  period  of  great  infirmity  of  thirty-six 
years.  He  often  was  unable  to  preach  at  all,  and  was  alwaj'S 
much  overcome  by  the  exercise.  But  he  made  himself  emi- 
nently useful  from  the   press,   by  sermons,  catechisms   and 


Chap.  19.  watts,  doddridge.  331 

hymns.  His  works  are  very  numerous,  and  fill  G  vols.  4to, 
He  died  Nov.  26,  1748,  in  the  75th  year  of  his  age.  On  his 
death  bed,  his  soul  seemed,  as  a  bystander  remarked,  "  to  be 
swallowed  up  with  gratitude  and  joy,  for  the  redemption  of 
sinners  by  Jesus  Christ."  He  was,  in  that  age,  is  now,  and 
will  be  for  ages  to  come,  an  eminent  blessing  to  mankind,  es- 
pecially to  the  lambs  of  Christ's  flock. 

PHILIP    DODDRIDGE,    D.  D. 

Was  born  in  London,  June  26,  1702.  When  an  infant,  he 
was  laid  out  for  dead  ;  but  a  motion  being  perceived,  he  was 
Carefully  nursed  and  preserved.  His  parents  were  eminently 
pious,  and  his  mother  taught  him  the  Scripture  history  from 
the  Dutch  tiles  in  the  fireplace,  and  made  deep  impressions  on 
his  heart.  He  early  lost  his  parents,  but  gained  the  patronage 
and  friendship  of  Dr.  Samuel  Clark,  and  was  trained  up  in  a 
dissenting  seminary  for  the  ministry.  He  preached  his  first 
sermon  at  20  years  of  age.  This  was  the  means  of  conversion 
to  two  persons.  He  soon  settled  over  an  independent  church 
at  Kibworth,  and  closely  applied  himself  to  study.  His  favour- 
ite authors,  were  Tillotson,  Baxter  and  Howe.  In  1729,  he 
opened  a  theological  seminary.  The  same  year,  he  re- 
moved to  Northampton,  where  he  took  the  pastoral  charge  of 
a  large  congregation,  and  continued  his  academy  until  1751, 
when  he  died  at  Lisbon  of  the  consumption,  in  the  50th  year 
of  his  age.  For  twenty-two  years,  he  filled  a  great  place  in  the 
religious  world. 

He  was  a  man  of  eminent  piety,  a  truly  eloquent  preacher, 
active  in  every  scheme  which  tended  to  promote  vital  piety, 
an  excellent  sacred  poet,  and  a  tutor  unwearied  in  his  atten- 
tion to  a  large  and  useful  seminary.  About  200  pupils  enjoyed 
the  benefits  of  his  instruction,  of  whom,  120  entered  the  pas- 
toral office.  His  prmcipal  works  are  his  "  Lectures,  '  "  An  Ex- 
position of  the  New  Testament,"  *'  Rise  and  progress  of  Reli- 
gion in  the  Soul,"  and  sermons. 

Other  lights  were  in  this  communion  at  the  same  period, 
whose  praise  is  still  in  the  churches.  Dr.  Ridgley,  author  of 
a  Body  of  Divinity.  Dr.  Evans,  author  of  sermons  on  the 
Christian  temper.  Dr.  Edmund  Calamy,  author  of  the  noncon- 
formist's memorial.  Daniel  Neal,  author  of  the  history  of  the 
puritans.  Moses  Lowman,  author  of  the  "  Rationale  of  the 
ritual  of  the  Hebrew  worship."     Dr.  Guyse,  author  oi  a  para.- 


332  ENGLISH    DISSENTERS.  PERIOD  111, 

phrase  of  the  New  Testament.     Doctor  Lardner   author  oj 
<'  the  credibiHty  of  the  Gospel  history." 

The  dissenters  were  ardent  friends  of  the  house  of  Hano- 
ver, and  had  they  continued  tirm  in  their  faith,  and  active  in 
duty,  might  have  prospered  greatly  by  the  side  of  the  luke- 
warm and  formal  establishment ;  but  in  1718,  they  began  to  be 
distracted  by  the  Arian  controversy.  Two  ministers  at  Exeter 
were  suspected  of  unsoundness  in  faith.  A  general  controver- 
sy arose  on  the  subject  of  creeds  and  confessions  of  faith. 
Many  thought  them  an  infringement  of  liberty,  and  took  sides 
against  them,  and  against  the  decidedly  orthodox,  who  de- 
manded them.  These  were  s  »on  suspected  of  error,  and  per- 
secuted. Some  of  them  took  refuge,  from  trouble,  in  the  es- 
tablishment. Others  became  open  Arians  and  Arminians  ;  and, 
as  the  puritans  and  dissenters  had  ever  lived  by  the  power  of 
evangelical  doctrine,  the  churches  of  Such  soon  declined  and 
went  to  decay.  These  were  wholly  presbyterians  and  general 
baptists.  The  independents  retained  their  ancient  faith.  In 
the  deistical  controversy,  the  dissenters  lost  much  ground,  for 
their  preachers,  dwelling  almost  wholly  on  the  evidences  of 
Christianity,  and  neglecting  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,  be- 
came dry.  And  as  they  had  generally  adopted  the  use  of 
notes,  lest  they  should  be  reputed  methodistical,  their  manner 
became  comparatively  dull  and  monotonous. Mr.  Whitetiield  and 
his  party,  with  whom  the  independents  harmonized,  diffused 
among  them  for  a  season,  much  spirituality  and  life.  But  be- 
fore 1760  there  was  a  great  decline  in  both  denominations. 
During  the  life  and  popularity  of  Dr.  Priestly,  who  abhorred  a 
middle  course,  the  presbyterians  generally  renounced  their  an- 
cient discipline,  and  separated  entirely  from  the  independents, 
and  called  themselves  rational  dissenters.  From  arianism,  they 
have  descended  to  socinianism,  and  now  chuse  to  be  known  as 
unitarians.  Many  of  the  presbyterians  in  the  North  of  En- 
gland, retain  their  orthodoxy,  and  are  united  with  the  Scotch. 
At  the  end  of  Queen  Anne's  reign,  the  presbyterians  formed 
two  thirds  of  the  dissenting  interest.  Now,  not  one  twentieth 
part. 

The  independents  have  for  some  years,  continued  steadily 
to  increase.  They  have  at  present,  in  England  and  Wales,  1024 
congregations.  Their  ministers  are  evangelical  and  active. 
They  have  laid  aside  the  practice  of  reading  sermons,  and 
preach  extempore.  Strict  discipline  is  maintained  in  their 
churches.  Their  seminaries  for  the  education  of  ministers, 
have  been  distinguished,  but  many  of  them  have  fallen  a  prey 


Chap.  19.  congregationalists  op  new  England.       333 

to  destructive  errors.  The  two  most  respectable,  now  are  at 
Hoxton  and  Homerton.  From  the  former,  proceeded  the  lovely 
Spencer,  of  Liverpool,  who,  having  tilled  England  with  his 
fame  by  his  pulpit  eloquence,  was  suddenly  called  into  eternity, 
Aug.  5,  1811,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty.  Their  ministers  are 
supported  chiefly  by  contribution.  George  I.  gave  1000 
pounds  a  year,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  dissenting  clergy. 
This  was  afterwards  increased  to  2000,  and  is  still  divided 
among  them.  The  independents  have  entered  warmly  into 
the  cause  of  the  Bible,  foreign  missions,  Sabbath  schools,  and 
other  benevolent  enterprises.  Some  of  their  best  modern 
preachers,  have  been  Winter,  Stafford,  Joy,  Bogue. 

Many  of  Cromwell's  army  settled  in  Ireland,  and  established 
presbyterian  congregations.  At  a  subsequent  period,  many 
seceders  passed  over  from  Scotland,  and  established  about  an 
hundred  cong;regations  in  the  north  of  Ireland.  Of  late,  the 
independents  have  also  settled  in  that  desolate  country.  Each 
of  these  branches  have  taken  some  root  and  continued  to  live. 
King  William  granted  their  ministers  1200  pounds  a  year.  In 
1719,  an  act  of  toleration  was  passed  in  their  favour. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Mr.  Rohinson^s  Church.  Its  emigration  to  Holland  and  to  JS'ezt^ 
England.  Rapid  increase  of  the  Kew  England  Churches, 
C  haracter  of  their  Jir St  ministers  and  members.  Constitution.  Har- 
yard  College  founded.  Roger  Williams.  Hutchinsonian  con^ 
troversy.  Troubles  from  the  Baptists.  Cambridge  Platform. 
Disturbances  from  the  Quakers.  Hartford  controversy.  Synod 
of  1657.  Halfway  covenant.  Syjwd  of  1680.  Witchcraft, 
Yale  College.  Saybrook  Platform.  Great  revival.  Snndema- 
nian  controversy.  Demoralizing  influence  of  the  French  and 
Revolutionary  war.  Revival  of  the  Churches.  Unitarianism, 
Theological  Inotitutions.  Number  and  order  of  the  churches 
and  ministers.     Distinguished  Divines. 

In  1602,  an  independent  congregation  in  the  North  of  England, 
chose  Mr.  John  Robinson,  a  man  of  much  learningand  piety,  to  be 
their  pastor.  But  scarcely  had  they  begun  to  enjoy  his  labors, 
when  they  were  subjected  to  fines,  imprisonment,  the  ruin  of  their 
iamilies  and  fortunes,  and  were  compelled  to  flee  to  Holland, 
which  at  this  time  granted  free  toleration  to  different  denomina- 


334       CONGREGATIONALISTS  OP  NEW  ENGLAND.    PeRIOD  III. 

tions  of  protestants,  for  the  enjoyment  of  religious  liberty.   The  [ 
government  had  forbidden  all   such  departures,  and  they  could  ^ 
escape  only  by  stealth.     They  secretly  contracted  with  a  cap- 
tain to  take  them  on  board  his  ship  at  Boston,  in  Lincolnshire ; 
but  the  captain  was  treacherous,  and  no  sooner  had  he  received  ; 
them,  than  he  delivered  them  over  to  the  civil  authority  ;  their  J 
goods  were  seized  and   they  were  carried  back   to  the  town,  ] 
spectacles  of  scorn.     The  next  spring,  they  agreed  with  a  Dutch  | 
captam  to  take  them  from  a  spot  remote  from  any  town.     The  j 
little   band  were  collected  at  the  appointed   moment,  but  the  i 
vessel  did  not  come  until  the  next  day,  and  much  suffering  was 
endured.     At  length,  the  vessel  appeared,  and  a  boat  came  to  i 
the  shore  and  received  as  many  as  it  could  contain      But  before 
it  returned,  a  company  of  armed  horsemen  appeared  and  seized  j 
those  who  remained,  and  the  vessel  weighed  anchor  and  disap-  I 
peared.      As  there  had  been  no  regard  to  families  in   the  em- 
barkation, great   distress   ensued.      Husbands  were   separated  ; 
from  wives,  and  parents  from  children.     Those  on  the  sea  were 
tossed  in  a  terrible  storm,  and  driven  on  the  coast  of  Norway. 
Those  that  remained  were  treated  with  ttie  greatest  indignity 
and  cruelty  ;    were   hurried  from   prison  to  prison,  and  officer 
to  officer,  and  at  last  became  objects  of  pity  and  public  charity. 
Their  flight  was  not  the  flight  of  guilt,  but  of  humble  piety  from 
oppression,  and   God  was  their   helper,      in   process   of  time, 
they  all  safely  reached  Holland,  and  in  1708,  Mr.  Robinson  saw 
his  church  established  at  Amsterdam   upon   firm   independent 
principles.  Mr.  Robinson's  church  were  originally  of  the  Brown- 
ists  who  denied  the  church  of  England   to  be  a  true   church. 
But  by  reflection  and  conversation  with  the  learned  Dr.  Ames, 
he  adopted  more  enlarged  viewv,  and  established   his  church 
upon  better  principles. 

The  next  year  the  pilgrims  removed  to  Leyden,  where  they 
acquired  a  comfortable  subsistence,  and  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Robinson  and  Elder  Brewster,  their  church  prospered.  Num- 
bers joined  them  from  England.  They  had  a  large  congregation 
and  300  communicants.  In  doctrine,  they  were  strictly  Calvin- 
istic  ;  in  discipline,  rigid  ;  in  practice,  very  exemplary.  At  the 
end  of  twelve  years,  the  magistrates  declared  from  the  seat  of 
justice,  "  These  English  have  lived  among  us  now  these  twelve 
years,  and  yet  we  have  never  had  one  suit  or  action  come 
against  them." 

In  Holland  they  might  long  have  enjoyed  peace  and  prospe- 
rity, but  their  object  was  religion.  The  fathers  were  dropping 
away,  and  the  youth  were  attracted  by  the  splendor  and  luxu- 


Chap.  20.  landing  op  the  pilgrims.  335 

ries  of  the  Dutch.  They  saw  that  their  church  would  soon  there 
be  merged  in  the  world,  and  they  resolved  upon  a  removal  to 
the  wilds  of  America,  where  they  might  be  freed  from  the  op- 
pressions of  tyranny,  and  the  temptations  of  the  old  world,  and 
perpetuate  the  precious  blessings  they  enjoyed.  Having  ob- 
tained liberty  from  the  Virginia  company  to  settle  at  the  mout'i 
of  Hudson  river,  and  having  made  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions, a  portion  of  the  church,  with  Elder  Brewster,  embarked 
for  America  to  make  preparation  for  Mr.  Robinson  and  the  re- 
mainder, who  promised  soon  to  follow.  Several  individuals  had 
sold  their  estates,  and  purchased  a  small  vessel  to  take  them 
from  Holland,  and  hired  a  large  one  in  England,  which  should 
also  take  a  number  of  families  from  thence.  The  day  of  their 
departure  from  Holland  was  a  day  of  solemn  humiliation  and 
prayer.  They  were  removing  not  for  the  advantages  of  trade, 
but  for  the  liberty  of  conscience  in  the  worship  of  God,  and  the 
establishment  of  a  Christian  church  accordmg  to  the  apostolic 
pattern,  and  they  fervently  sought  the  blessing  of  heaven  upon 
their  great  undertaking. 

Their  small  vessel  proving  leaky,  they  left  it  in  England,  and 
all,  amounting  to  101  souls,  embarked  together  in  the  large  one, 
from  Southampton,  Sept.  6,  1620  Their  captain  being  bribed 
by  the  Dutch,  carried  them  far  north  of  their  destined  haven. 
For  two  months  they  were  tossed  on  the  stormy  ocean.  Nov. 
I),  they  saw  the  shores  of  Cape  Cod,  and  having  formed  a  civil 
government,  and  chosen  John  Carver  their  first  governor,  they 
landed  at  Plymouth,  Dec.  11,  "  with  hearty  praises  to  God,  who 
had  been  their  assurance  when  far  off  on  the  sea  " 

They  found  themselves,  indeed,  in  a  new  world.  Terrific 
were  the  dark  forests,  and  the  barbarous  savages.  But  these 
they  dreaded  less  than  depraved  and  barbarous  Europe;  and 
here,  under  the  kind  providence  of  God,  they  planted  the  flour- 
ishing New-England  churches  ;  Mr.  Robinson,  their  pastor, 
never  followed  them,  but  died  at  Leyden,  March  1626,  in  the  50th 
year  of  his  age.  He  was  universally  regarded  as  a  great  and 
good  man,  and  his  death  was  deeply  lamented.  His  family  and 
people  soon  after  joined  their  brethren  at  Plymouth.  For  nine 
years,  the  church  at  Plymouth  went  without  the  ordinances,  ha- 
ving no  settled  pastor.  Mr.  Ralph  Smith  was,  in  1629,  their 
first  pastor. 

As  liberty  of  conscience  could  not  be  enjoyed  in  England, 
great  numbers  of  her  most  learned,  orthodox,  and  pious  people, 
who  would  not  conform  to  the  ceremonies  of  the  established 
church,  fled  to  America.      On  the  24th  of  June,   1629,,  three 


336     CONGREGATIONALISTS  OF  N.  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  III. 

hundred  people  arrived  at  Salem.     Thirty  of  them,  on  the  6th 
of  August,    entered  into  church  fellowship,  forming  the  first 
church  gathered   in   New-England.      Mr.  Higginson,  and  Mr. 
Shelton,  two  nonconforming  ministers,  who  had  been  silenced 
in  England,  were  ordained*  over  them  by  the  imposition  of  the 
hands  of  some  of  the  brethren.     Governor  Bradford  and  others, ; 
messengers  from  the  church  of  Plymouth,  gave  them  the  right] 
hand  of  fellowship.     "  They  aimed  to  settle  a  reformed  church,  i 
according  to  their  apprehension  of  the  rules  of  the  gospel,  and  \ 
the  pattern  of  the  best  reformed  churches." 

The  next  year,  Gov.  Winthrop  arrived  with  a  number  of  va- 
luable ministers,  and    fibout   1500  people,    and  encamped  on  1 
Charlestown  hill.      They  first  worshipped  God  under  a  large  i 
spreading  tree.     A  day  of  thanksgiving  was  observed  through- 
out all  the  settlements  for  God's  goodness  to  them. 

Some  of  these  settled  permanently  at  Charlestown,  and  Bos-  j 
ton  ;  and,   as  their  great  object  was  the  promotion  of  religion, 
they  entered,  August  27,  into  church  covenant,  and  chose  Mr.  | 
Wilson,  a  man  of  distinguished  piety  and   zeal,    who  had  been  j 
minister  in  Sudbury,  England,  to  be  their  pastor.     This  church  I 
embraced  the  governor,  deputy  governor,  and  other  men  of  dis-  j 
tinction.      Others  scattered  about,  forming  nine  or  ten  villages;  I 
and  establishing  so  many  churches.     One  company  settled  Wa-  ' 
tertown,    with  Mr.    Phillips  for  their  pastor.       Another  settled 
Koxbury,  and  chose  the  famous  John  Elliot, t  and  Mr.  Weld, 
for  their  pastors.       Another,   and   a  very  excellent  company, 
which  had  been  formed  into  a  congregational  church  in  England, 
under  Mr.  Wareham  and  Mr.  Maverick,  and  which  came  over 
about  the  same  time,  settled  Dorchester.     Three  years  after, 
another  valuable  company  came  over  under  Mr.  Hooker  and 
Mr.  Stone,  and  settled  Newtown,  now  Cambridge.     Mr.  Hooker 
had  been  a  preacher  at  Chelmsford,  and  was  silenced  for  non- 
conformity, and  obliged  to  flee  to  Holland.     But  he  was  a  man 
of  such  pulpit  talents,  that  many  who  viewed  him  as  their  spi- 
ritual father,  were  ready  to  follow  him  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
They  invited  him  to  go  with  them  to  America.     Some  of  them 
preceded  him  and  formed  their  settlement,  and  when  he  arrived 
he  embraced  them  with  open  arms,  saying,  *'  Now  I  live,  if  ye 
stand  fast  in  the  Lord." 

*  "They  had  been  ordained  by  bishops  in  England.  This  ordination  was  only 
to  the  pastoral  care  of  that  particular  flock,  founded  on  their  free  election."— 
Prince. 

t  See  chap,  xxii. 


Chap.  20.  haritord  and  '"new-haven  settled.   337 

As  the  numbers  of  the  planters  increased,  the  churches  al 
Dorchester,  Watertown  and  Newtown,  resolved  to  remove  to 
the  fertile  valleys  of  the  Connecticut  About  the  beginning  of 
June,  1636,  Mr.  Hooker  and  Mr.  Stone,  with  an  hundred  men, 
women,  and  children,  left  Newtown,  and  travelled  with  the 
greatest  difficulty,  over  an  hundred  miles  of  trackless  wilder- 
ness, to  Hartford.  They  drove  about  160  head  of  cattle,  which 
afforded  them  sustenance  and  carried  their  arms  and  utensils. 
They  were  about  a  fortnight  in  the  wilderness.  Mr.  Warham 
also  removed  with  his  church  and  settled  Windsor.  The  church 
at  Watertown  removed  to  Wethersfield,  but  Mr.  Philips  did  not 
go  with  them,  and  they  chose  Mr.  Henry  Smith  their  pastor. 
The  places  left  vacant  were  soon  filled  by  new  emigrants  and 
able  ministers. 

In  1637,  Mr.  Davenport,  an  eminent  Christian  and  a  learned 
divine,  who  had  preached  with  ^reat  celebrity  in  London,  but 
had  become  obnoxious  to  the  ruling  party  and  fled  to  Holland, 
came  over  with  Mr.  Eaton  and  Mr.  Hopkins,  two  pious  and 
wealthy  merchants  of  London ;  and  with  a  few  families  from 
Massachusetts,  settled  New-Haven.  Their  republic  was  emi- 
nently Christian.  About  the  same  time,  settlements  were 
formed  on  the  Piscataqua,  and  a  church  was  gathered  at 
Exeter. 

Ninety-four  ministers  had  now  passed  from  England  to  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  21,200  people.  Of  the  ministers,  27  had  re- 
turned, and  36  had  died. 

These  early  pious  emigrants,  endured  almost  incredible  hard- 
ships, from  famine,  disease,  and  the  barbarous  tribes  of  Indians, 
but  as  they  looked  around  them,  they  were  compelled  to  exclaim. 
"  what  hath  God  wrought !"  In  a  very  few  years,  this  waste  howl- 
ing wilderness,  had  become  a  fruitful  field,  and  the  habitations 
of  savage  cruelty,  had  become  vocal  with  the  high  praises  of 
God.  In  1650,  there  were  about  40  churches  in  New-England, 
over  which  had  been  settled  above  80  ministers,  and  7,750 
communicants. 

Both  ministers  and  people,  were,  as  a  body,  eminently  pious- 
Many  of  the  ministers  were  distinguished  in  England,  for  lite- 
rature and  pulpit  talent.  "  They  were  men,"  says  Neal,  "  of 
great  sobriety  and  virtue,  plain,  serious,  aflfectionate  preacherSj, 
exactly  conformaWe  to  the  doctrine  of  the  church  of  England, 
and  took  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  promote  a  reformation  of 
manners  in  their  several  parishes."  Among  the  emigrants, 
they  were  abundant  in  preaching,  prayer,  catechising,  and  visit- 
ing from  house  to  house  ;  and  such  was  the  fidelity,  and  such 

29 


338   CONGREGATIONALISTS  OF  N.  ENGLAND.   PeRIOD  III. 

the  excellent  character  of  the  emigrants,  that  religion  exceed- 
ingly flourished,  and  intemperance,  profaneness,  Sabbath  break- 
ing, and  other  gross  immoralities,  were  for  a  long  time  unknown 
in  the  community. 

Like  the  church  at  Leyden,  they  all  aimed  at  independency. 
They  viewed  every  church  as  completely  organized,  when  it 
had  a  pastor,  teacher,  elder  and  deacons.  The  pastor  was  a  i 
practical  and  experimental,  and  the  teacher,  a  doctrinal  preach-  ij 
er.  The  elder  assisted  the  pastor  in  discipline,  and  was  or*  | 
dained  like  the  ministers.  The  deacons  were  to  distribute  the  f 
elements  and  provide  for  the  poor.  If  a  pastor  and  teacher  i 
could  not  both  be  supported,  the  pastor  performed  the  duties  j 
of  both,  and  was  strictly  contined  to  one  congregation.  | 

Synods  or  general  councils,  were  acknowledged  by  them  as  \ 
ordinances   of   Christ,   and    valuable   as   advisory   bodies,    but ! 
without  juridical  power.     They  confined  the  right  of  choosing 
ministers  and  exercising  discipline,  entirely  to  the  churches, 
which,  for  this  reason,  were  called  congregational  churches. 

Early  provision   was  made   for  the  support  of  ministers  and 
schools,  and  the  supply  of  every  family  with  a  Bible,  and  re-  j 
iigious  books  and  catechisms.     And  that  ministers  might  be  ( 
raised   up  from  among  the  rising  generation,   a   college    wast 
founded  at  Newtown,  now  Cambridge,  in  1638,  and  called  Har-  ■ 
vard  college,  after  the  Rev.  John  Harvard,  of  Charlestown. 
who  left  it  a  handsome  legacy.     With  this  institution,  a   press 
was  connected,  and  there   a  new   version  of  the  psalms  was 
formed  and  printed,  to  supplant  the  miserable  rhymes  of  Stern* 
hold  and  Hopkins. 

Between  the  civil  and  religious  community,  subsisted  the  | 
most  perfect  harmony.     The  leading  civilians  emigrated,  not  i 
for  any  worldly  emolument,  but  for  the  express  purpose  of  en- 
joying the  ministrations  of  their  exiled  pastors.     And  the  pas- 
tors looked  upon  them  with  great  tenderness  and  affection,  as  * 
their  spiritual  children,  who  had  left  the  comforts  and  pleasures  i 
of  their  native  land,  to  hear  from  them  the  word  of  life,  and  ; 
aid  in  building  up  the  church  in  its  primitive  purity.     No  church 
could  be  gathered,  without  liberty  from  those  in  authority  ;  and 
what  was,  no  doubt,  a  very  erroneous  principle,  and  proved,  in 
its  operation,   very    injurious  to    the  country,  none   could  be 
chosen  to  the  magistracy,  or  vote  for  a  inao^istrate,  who  was 
not  a  member  of  a  church.     Possessed  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence, these  devoted  men  made  early  and  not  unsuccessful  ef- 
forts, toward  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  tribes  around  them/ 

*  See  Chapter  xxi. 


Chap.  '-20.  synod  of  Cambridge.  339 

But  they  soon  found  that  this  was  not  their  rest.     Discord 
!  among  brethren,  difliculties  between  pastors  and  churches,  and 
trouble  from  different   denominations,  soon  taught  them  that 
there  was*  no  perfeclion  in  this  land  o<"  promise. 

Mr.  Roii;er  VViiliaui'!,  one  of  the  ministers  of  Salem,  refused 
to  hold  communion  with  the  rhurch  of  Boston,  because  its 
membt^rs  wouhi  not  make  confession  of  2;nilt  tor  having  com- 
muned with  the  episcopal  church  whib  they  remained  in 
England.  He  also  twuy;lit  that  the  magi>trates  ought  not  to 
punisli  breaches  of  the  Sabbath,  or  any  disiurbance  of  the  wor- 
ship of  God  ;  .nd  that  there  should  be  a  public  toler.dion  of  all 
religions.  For  the^^e  things,  which  ocra>ioned  great  commotion, 
he  was  banishefl  as  a  disturber  of  the  church  and  commonwealth. 
He  afterwards  form^'d  a  setih'riient  at  I'lovidpnce  in  Rhode 
Island,  renounced  his  baptism,  was  rebaptiz<d  by  Mr.  Ezekiel 
Holyman,  then  proceeded  to  rebaptiz(  hiin  and  ten  others,  and 
i  thus  formi^d  the  tir^t  Baptist  church  m  New  England. 

But  a  far  greater  source  ot  trouhle  was  a  married  woman,  by 
the  name  of  Ann  Hutcliinson.  a  violent  familist  and  antinomian. 
She  maintained  among  other  things,  '  That  the  person  of  the 
Holy  Gho^t  dwells  in  a  justitied  per<!on  ;  That  no  degrees  of 
sanctification  furnish  any  evidence  of  jua.itication  ;  that  all  the 
ministers,  but  Mr.  Cotton,  preached  the  covenant  of  works,  and 
that  they  could  not  preach  the  covenant  of  jirace,  because  they 
had  not  the  seal  of  the  spirit.'  She  gave  public  lectures,  had 
a  crowded  audience,  and  gained  many  proselj^tes.  The  whole 
colonv  was  agitated  and  thrown  into  two  parties,  which  styled 
each  other  Antinornians  and  lietialists  Such  was  the  extent  of 
the  controversy,  that  a  synod  was  called  at  Candiridge  in  1637, 
consisting  ol  all  the  ministers  in  he  country,  aijd  of  messen- 
gers trom  the  churches.  The  Rev.  Peter  Bulkley,  ol  Con- 
cord and  the  Rev  Thomas  Hooker,  oi  Haitl'ord,  were  chosen 
moderators,  and  the  synod  --^Ht  three  weeks  Eighty-two  opin- 
ions were  condemned  a--  erroneous,  with  considerable  unanimity  j 
and,  by  the  general  court  at  then  next  Si  ssion,  Mrs.  H.  was 
banished  fron>  ^he  jurisdiction.  The  -entence  made  her  wild 
and  fanatical,  and  she  was  excommunicated  trom  the  church  and 
removed  to  Rhode  Island  ;  but  it  was  long  before  the  effects  of 
the  controversy  ceased.  These  tilings  broke  down  in  some  de- 
gree vital  piety  ;  but  the  wars  with  the  Indians  did  more,  for 
they  took  the  people  away  from  the  means  ot  grace  and  excited 
a  spirit  of  revenge,  and  cru(  Ity,  and  conquest. 

In  1642,  Mr.  Cotton  of  Boston,  Mr.  Hooker  of  Hartford,  and 
Mr,  Davenport  of  JNew-Haven,  received  an  invitation  to  sit  in 


340   CONGREGATIONALISTS  OF  N.  ENGLAND   PeRIOD  III. 

the  assembly  of  Divines,  at  Westminster,  England,  convened  to 
settle  the  faith  of  the  church,  but  they  declined  attending. 

The  next  year,  several  persons  arrived  at  Boston,  and  en- 
deavoured to  establish  the  presbyterian  government  under  the 
authority  of  that  assembly  ;  but  the  ministers  and  churches  were 
too  firm  for  them  in  their  principles  of  independency. 

Several  Anabaptists  spread  in  Massachusetts,  and  contemned 
the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  authorities.  A  severe  law  whs  passed 
against  them  in  1644.  An  adherence  to  their  prmclples  was 
punished  by  hnnishment.  So  little  did  the  Puritans  understand 
rights,  for  which  they  themselves  had  contended. 

Hitherto,  nothing  had  been  done  toward  settling  an  uniform 
scheme  ef  ecclesiastical  discipline,  and  as  the  churches  were 
fast  increasing,  and  errors  in  fiilh  and  practice  began  to  multi- 
ply, the  general  court  of  Massachusetts  called  m  synod,  which 
met  at  Cambridge,  1646,  to  attend  to  this  business.  Many  ob« 
jected  to  the  step,  fearing  that  it  would  lead  to  persecution. 
But  it  was  generally  agreed  to,  and  a  full  representation  was 
made  of  the  churches  ot' New-England.  The  synod  protracted 
its  sessions  by  adjournments  for  two  years,  when  it  adopted  the 
platform  of  church  discipline,  called  the  Cnmbridge  platform, 
and  recommended  it  with  the  Westminster  confession  of  faith  to 
the  churches.  This  platlbrm  recognised  the  distinction  be- 
tween pastor  and  teacher,  and  the  existence  in  the  church  of 
ruling  elders  ;  it  declared  the  visible  church  to  consist  of  saints 
and  the  children  of  such  as  were  holy,  required  of  every  com- 
municant repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  in  Christ; 
directed  every  church  to  choose  its  own  officers,  and  to  ordain 
them  by  imposition  of  the  hands  of  brethren,  if  no  elders  or  mi- 
nisters could  be  procured,  and  required  all  to  pursue  a  course 
of  rigid  separation  from  all  excommunicated  persons.  It  refer- 
red to  synods  and  councils,  controversies  of  faith  and  practice, 
but  gave  them  no  disciplinary  power  With  the  ecclesiastical 
laws,  it  formed  the  religious  constitution  of  the  colonies.  About 
thirty  years  after,  it  was  confirmed  by  another  synod  at  Boston. 
The  churches  af  Connecticut  made  it  their  rehgious  constitu» 
tion  for  60  years,  until  the  adoption  of  the  Saybrook  platform. 

The  churches  had  felt  themselves  disturbed  by  the  Anabaptists, 
but  they  were  much  more  so  afterwards  by  the  Quakers.  George 
Fox  had  come  to  Rhode  Island  and  published  his  sentiments. 
Numbers  also  arrived  in  Boston.  They  became  "  open  sedu- 
cers from  the  Trinity ;  from  the  holy  scriptures  as  a  rule  of 
life,  and  open  enemies  to  the  goverment  as  estabhshed  in  the 
hands  of  any  but  men  of  their  own  principles."     They  wera 


Chap.  20.  Quakers.  341 

guilty  of  many  outrageous  practices  and  much  shameful  distur- 
bance of  public  worship.  A  quaker  woman  went  through  the 
streets  of  Salem  naked  as  a  sign.  Another  woman  went  naked 
into  the  meeting  house  at  Newbury,  pretending  that  the  Lord 
had  moved  her.  Numbers  were  seized  and  banished,  and  a  pe- 
nalty of  £100  was  laid  upon  any  master  of  a  vessel  who  should 
bring  any  quaker  to  the  country. 

The  fathers  of  New-England  were  jealous  for  all  that  was  dear 
to  them  and  their  children.  Ihey  persecuted  the  quakers  not  so 
much  for  their  pecuhar  views  of  religion,  as  for  being  gross  dis- 
turbers of  civil  society.  Such  indecencies  were  not  to  be  borne 
with,  though  offered  under  the  most  pious  pretences.  "  Every 
other  government,"  said  aiese  intruders  "  but  their  own  was  a 
tree  that  must  be  cut  down."  And  what  could  they  expect 
from  every  other  governtuent  but  to  be  cut  down  themselves  ? 
But  the  infliction  upoii  them  of  the  penalty  of  death  was  alto- 
gether inexcusable. 

While  the  first  ministers  and  settlers  of  Connecticut  remain- 
ed, their  churches  had  great  peace  and  harmony.  But  when  they 
were  removed  a  generation  arose  with  very  different  sentiments 
relating  to  church  membership.  A  dispute  arose  in  Hartford 
soon  after  the  death  of  the  excellent  Hooker,  between  Mr. 
Stone  and  Elder  Goodwin  upon  '  some  nice  points  of  Congrega- 
tionahsm,"  which  threw  the  whole  colony  into  a  flame.  The 
worldly  and  unprincipled  took  advantage  of  the  convulsed  state 
of  things  to  bring  forward  their  complaints  against  the  rigidity 
of  the  churches.  They  thought  it  unreasonable  that  persons 
of  regular  lives  should  be  excluded  from  the  communion,  though 
fhey  gave  no  evidence  of  experimental  religion,  and  from  the 
privilege  of  havmg  their  children  baptized  if  they  acknowledged 
their  covenant.  They  also  viewed  it  as  a  grievance  that  church 
members  alone  should  have  a  vote  in  the  choice  of  pastors. 
These  points  were  argued  throughout  Connecticut  with  great 
warmth.  Some  were  actuated  m  their  support  by  worldly 
principles.  According  to  the  constitution  of  the  church  and 
state,  they  were,  while  out  of  the  church,  entirely  exclu- 
ded from  all  the  honours  and  oflices  of  the  state,  even 
from  the  freedom  of  election,  and  to  be  free  they  must  either 
join  the  church  or  alter  the  prevalent  system.  Others  were 
actuated  by  a  zeal  for  God,  but  not  according  to  knowledge. 
These  were  chiefly  among  the  aged.  They  saw  their  grand- 
children growing  up  without  baptism.  Their  children  were  men  of 
sober  regular  hves,  but  made  no  pretensions  to  personal  piety. 
These  thev  viewed   as  members  of  the  visible  church  in  con- 

29^ 


34^      CONGREGATIONALISTS    OF    N.   ENGLAND.      PeRIOD  IIL 

sequence  of  their  baptism,  and  these  they  thought  might,  with 
propriety,  own  their  covenant  and  have  their  children  baptized, 
that  so  the  church  might  be  perpetuated.  But  many  viewed  it 
as  highly  dangerous  thus  to  bring  the  world  into  the  church,  and 
violently  opposed  the  innovation. 

A  number  of  councils  sat  in  vain,  upon  the  disputed  subject. 
At  length  in  1657,  all  the  difficulties  were  referred  to  a  council 
composed  of  the  principal^  ministers  of  New-England  at  Boston. 
These  presented  answers  to  21  questions.  They  declared  . 
«*  That  it  was  the  duty  of  those  come  to  years  of  discretion,  bapr  , 
tized  in  their  infancy,  to  own  the  covenant ;  that  it  is  the  duty  i 
of  the  church  to  call  them  to  this  ;  that  if  they  refuse,  or  are 
scandalous  in  any  other  way  they  may  be  censured  by  the  church^ 
If  they  understand  the  grounds  of  religion  and  are  not  scanda- 
lous, and  solemnly  own  the  covenant,  giving  up  themselves  and 
t-heir  children  to  the  Lord-  baptism  may  not  be  denied  to  their 
children."  This  decision  introduced  into  the  churches  what 
lias  since  been  termed  the  half-way  covenant,  and  constituted 
such  as  had  been  baptized  in  infancy,  voters  in  the  election  of  a 
pastor.  Such  was  the  result  of  the  mistaken  attempt  to  amalga- 
mate the  church  and  the  world. 

But  the  churches  in  Connecticut  were  not  quieted.  Many 
viewed  the  decision  as  destructive  to  the  interests  of  religion, 
and  a  violation  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  congregational- 
ism.  The  ferment  in  the  church  at  Hartford  also  was  high.  In 
1659,  a  council  composed  of  elders  and  messengers  from  Boston 
and  its  vicinity  met  there  and  labored  a  long  time  to  conciHate 
the  parties.  But  the  conflict  only  ceased  with  the  removal  and 
death  of  some  of  the  principal  actors.  It  was  indeed  terrible. 
■^^  From  the  fire  of  the  altar,"  said  Mather,  "  there  issued  thun- 
derings,  and  lightnings,  and  earthquakes,  through  the  whole 
colony." 

In  Massachusetts,  a  syiiod  was  called  to  consider  the  decision 
of  the  Boston  council.  It  was  warmly  opposed  by  several  lead- 
ing ministers,  especially  by  President  Chauncey  and  Mr.  Increase 
Mather,  but  the  controversy  had  assumed  a  political  character. 
A  large  body  of  the  people  were  cut  off"  from  all  honors  and 
offices,  and  the  privileges  of  freemen,  and  such  was  the  clamour 
from  them,  that  a  majority  of  the  synod  confirmed  the  decision. 
This  synod  also  gave  their  opinion  in  favor  of  a  consociation  of 
the  churches,  but  nothing  was  done  to  establish  it. 

The  churches  in  Massachusetts  generally  adopted  the  practice 
recommended,  and  one  of  the  results  of  it  was,  that  viewing  un- 
converted men  who  cnteied  into  on  cxternU  covenant  withGod^ 


Chap.  20.  half-way  covenant,  343 

OS  fit  to  bring  their  children  to  baptism,  many  pastors  viewed 
them  as  fit  to  come  to  the  Lord's  table.  This  was  the  case 
especially  with  the  Rev.  Solomon  Stoddard  of  Northampton, 
who  contended  with  great  zeal  that  the  supper  was  a  converting 
ordinance,  and  that  a  maral  life,  and  not  a  change  of  heart,  was 
essential  to  admittance  to  it.     His  influence  was  very  extensive. 

But  the  pious  part  of  the  community  i^n  Connecticut  were  so 
opposed  to  it,  that  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  endeavoring  to 
enforce  it  and  convened  another  council  in  1667,  to  sanction  it. 
It  was  not  adopted  by  a  single  church  for  thirty-nine  years  after, 
i.  e.  until  almost  a  whole  generation  had  passed  away.  The 
church  at  Hartford  first  introduced  it  in  1696.  The  covenant 
was  signed  by  most  of  the  young  people  in  the  congregation. 
Other  churches  gradually  came  into  the  same  practice.  It  was 
wholly  discontinued  in  the  state  about  the  close  of  the  1 8th  century. 

The  mmisters  and  churches  of  New  Haven  colony  were  unani- 
mous in  opposition  to  it. 

Both  the  Connecticut  and  New  Haven  churches  continued 
their  former  strict  practice  of  admitting  members  to  their  com- 
munion, and  would  not  suffer  any  but  church  members  to  vote 
in  the  choice  of  pastors.  The  churches  throughout  New-Eng- 
land were  also  very  strict  in  their  examination  of  candidates  for 
the  ministry ;  requiring  of  them  a  knowledge  of  the  three  learned 
languages,  a  knowledge  of  doctrinal  and  practical  theology,  and 
an  ability  to  defend  them,  and  satisfactory  e\'idence  of  personal 
piety. 

In  1679,  a  Synod  assembled  at  Boston,  called  the  Reforming 
Synod.  The  colonies  had  been  greatly  distressed  with  various 
calamities,  and  the  pious  community  were  anxious  to  know  their 
sins  and  duties.  The  results  of  the  Synod  were  very  happy  in 
unfolding  the  provoking  sins  of  the  age,  and  leading  the  people  to 
repentance. 

The  first  settlers  of  Plymouth  had  adopted,  while  in  Holland, 
the  doctrinal  articles  of  the  church  of  England,  and  the  confes- 
sion of  the  French  reformed  churches,  which  was  the  confession 
of  Calvin  ;  and  the  Synod  of  1648  had  recommended  to  the 
churches  the  Westminster  confession  of  faith  ;  but  it  was  thought 
advisable  for  the  churches  publicly  and  solemnly  to  adopt  one  as 
their  own.  Accordingly,  this  reforming  Synod  adopted.  May 
12,  1680,  the  Savoy  confession,  composed  by  a  convention  of 
congregational  divines  at  a  pubHc  building  in  London,  called  the 
Savoy,  which  difiered  in  nothing  essential  from  the  Westminster 
confession,  which  had  been  adopted  in  1648.  They  chose  thus 
to  unite  with  European  churches,  that  they  might  not  only  with 


344     CONGREGATIONALISTS  OP  N.  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  IIL 

one  heart,  but  with  one  mouth,  glorify  God  and  our  Lord  Jesus 

Christ. 

Blessed  with  great  purity  of  doctrine  and  excellent  religious 
instruction,  the  New  England  churches  had  been  remarkably 
free  from  superstition.  But  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, a  cloud  came  over  them,  producing  the  most  deplorable 
consequences.  Two  children,  in  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Paris,  of  Salem  village,  weie  in  the  year  1692,  affected  with  some 
unusual  distemper.  The  physician  declared  that  "  they  were  un- 
der an  evil  hand.''''  A  repoit  spread  that  they  were  bewitched. 
An  Indian  woman  privately  made  experiments  to  find  out  the 
witch.  The  children,  hearing  of  her  experiments,  complained  of 
her  as  tormenting  them  and  visible  though  not  present.  1  liey 
would  be  dumb  and  choked,  and  declare  that  pins  were  thrust 
into  their  flesh.  Others  soon  complained  of  similar  sufferings, 
and  accused  various  persons  of  the  sin  of  witchcraft.  The  public 
commotion  was  tremendous.  Councils  were  called.  Fasts  were 
held.  The  Legislature  appointed  a  fast  through  the  colony, 
that  the  Lord  might  rebuke  Satan.  The  accused  were  imprison- 
ed ;  tried  before  the  civil  magistrates,  and,  shocking  to  relate, 
nineteen  were  between  March  and  September,  pubhcly  executed. 
And  these  were  such  only  as  plead  not  guilty.  All  who  confess- 
ed themselves  guilty  of  witchcraft  and  many  there  were  who  did 
this  to  save  their  lives  were  acquitted.  "  Terrible  was  the  day. 
Every  man  was  suspicious  of  his  neighbor.  Business  was  inter- 
rupted. Many  people  fled  from  their  dweUings.  Terror  w  as  in 
every  countenance.  Disti-ess  in  every  heart."  Before  winter 
there  was  an  entire  change  of  pubUc  opinion.  All  were  sensible 
that  it  was  an  awful  delusion  in  the  public  mind.  And  those  who 
had  been  active  in  condemning,  confessed  their  error,  and  sought 
forgiveness  from  the  public. 

Witchcraft  was  universally  believed  in  Europe  until  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  very  generally  until  after  the  phrenzy  at  Sa- 
lem. King  James  wrote  a  book  to  teach  his  people  the  reality 
of  witchcraft,  and  the  duty  of  punishing  it  with  the  greatest  seve- 
rity, and  the  great  Sir  Matthew  Hale  condemned  to  death  two 
women  for  this  supposed  crime.  The  rehgious  community  had 
been  taught  by  the  Mosaic  writings,  that  a  "  witch  ought  not  to 
live."  Let  us  spare  our  condemnation  of  them,  and  be  grateful 
that  we  have  more  hght  and  clearer  views  on  this  awful  subject. 

In  17U3-4,  there  was  a  considerable  outpouring  of  the  spirit 
upon  the  churches,  and  religion  was  greatly  revived.  There 
were  now  one  hundred  and  fifty  churches  in  New  England,  thirty 
of  whieh  were  Indian,  with  Indian  pastors. 


Chap.  20.   saybrook  platform,    great  revival,      345 

Harvard  College  had  become  flourishing  ;  but  that  the  Con- 
necticut churches  might  be  supplied  with  a  learned  ministry  with 
less  expense  than  sending  their  sons  there,  they,  in  1700,  laid 
the  foundation  of  Yale  College. 

In  1703,  the  trustees  of  this  Institution  invited  ail  the  ministers 
of  Connecticut  to  meet  with  the  churches  in  a  general  consocia- 
tion, for  the  adoption  of  an  uniform  system  of  faith,  after  the  ex- 
ample of  the  synod  in  Boston,  in  1680.  The  proposal  was  ac- 
ceded to,  and  the  Westminster  and  Savoy  confessions  were  adopt- 
ed. But  as  there  was  no  authoritative  bond  of  union  among  the 
ministers  and  churches,  and  as  one  was  much  needed,  a  conven- 
tion of  ministers  and  delegates  met  in  1 708  at  Saybrook,  which 
adopted  a  system  of  discipline  and  church  fellowship,  called  the 
Saybrook  Platform.  This  was  recognized  by  the  (legislature  as 
the  religious  constitution  of  the  colony.  It  established  district 
associations,  a  general  annual  association  of  minister^,  composed 
of  delegates  from  the  district  associations,  and  a  consociation  of 
ministers  and  chui  ches,  a  perpetual  council  in  each  district  com- 
posed of  ministers  and  lay  delegates  to  which  all  difficulties 
might  be  referred,  and  whose  decision  should  be  final. 

In  1724,  the  convention  of  ministers  at  Boston,  petitioned  the 
general  court  to  call  a  general  synod  ;  but  it  was  the  opinion  of 
the  leading  civilians,  that  it  could  not  be  done  without  an  order 
from  the  king,  and  the  thing  was  relinquished.  No  synod  has 
since  been  known  in  these  congregational  churches,  and  no 
public  body  has  adopted  any  other  confession  of  faith,  or  system 
of  church  government,  than  those  adopted  by  the  above  synod. 

By  the  settlement  of  Rhode  Island  New  Hampshire,  Maine 
and  Vermont,  the  bounds  of  Congregationalism  became  nmch 
enlarged.  The  congregational  churches  in  these  states  adopted, 
in  general  the  same  faith  and  government  as  the  mother  churches. 
None,  however,  but  Connecticut,  in  all  New  England,  became 
consociated. 

About  the  year  1737,  commenced  a  very  general,  powerful, 
and  happy  revival  of  religion  throughout  New  England.  An 
extraordinary  zeal  was  excited  in  the  ministers  of  the  churches. 
They  addressed  crowded  audiences  in  the  demonstration  of  the 
spirit  and  with  power.  The  doctrines  of  the  Reformation  were 
presented  in  their  native  simplicity.  Men  were  taught  their  en- 
tire depravity,  the  necessity  of  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  duty  of  immediate  submission  to  God,  of  evangelical  repent- 
ance and  faith  in  Christ,  and  holy  obedience.  Converts  were 
exceedingly  multiplied.  Religion  was,  in  many  places,  almost 
the  only  subject  of  thought  and  conversation.     Vast  multitudes 


I 


346     CONGREGATIONAHSTS  OF  N.  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  III. 


united  themselves   to  the  Christian  church,  who,  through  life, 
adorned  the  doctrine  of  God  their  Saviour. 

This  work  found  a  a;reHt  promoter  in  Massachusetts  in  the 
Rev.  Jonathan  Edwards  of  Northampton,  one  of  the  greatest 
divines  of  the  Christian  church,  who  preached  incessantly  with  I 
great  power,  and  who  exposed  with  wonderful  skill  in  his  } 
writings  all  the  arts  of  the  adversary  to  mislead,  delurle,  and  i 
destroy  by  error  and  false  rehgion  the  souls  of  men.  In  Con- 
necttcut,  it  was  promoti^d  by  the  ministry  of  Bellamy,  Whee- 
lock,*  Pomeroy,  and  others,  but,  unfortunately,  a  class  of  fana- 
tics arose  in  that  State,  who  made  great  disturbances,  an<l  tinaily 
separated  from  their  brethren  as  holier  than  they  These 
formed  a  new  and  distinct  community  of  churches,  called  Sepa- 
rates.     They  are  now  nearly  extinct 

Throughout  Npw-Enj:land,  the  work  found  warm  opposfrs, 
both  among  ministers  and  churches  who  made  loud  clamours 
against  the  wildness  and  fanaticism  which  appeared,  and,  in 
such  a  world  of  depravity  as  this,  is  apt  to  hover  around  and 
attach  its  If,  in  some  measure,  to  revivals  of  religion. 

The  good  effects  of  that  work  of  grace  were  long  felt  ;  yea, 
are  felt  to  this  day.  They  could  have  been  vastly  greater  had 
the  churches  listened  to  the  faithful  warnings  of  Edwards,  and 
avoidedthe  gross  errors  which  prevailed  ;  and  had  they  educated 
their  sons,  the  numerous  youth  who  were  called  into  the  king- 
dom of  Christ  for  the  Gospel  ministry.  An  army  of  able  war- 
riors might  then  huve  been  sent  into  the  tield.  But  the 
churches  saw  not  the  price  put  ifito  their  hands.  The  vvarnings 
from  the  walchtower  were  disregarded  ;  their  youth,  ignorant 
of  truth,  ran  wild  ;  errors  and  corruptions  mcreased,  and  a  long 
night  of  darkness  succeeded-  Such  ministers  and  churches  as 
opposed  the  revival,  triumphed  at  every  unhappy  result,  and 
became  more  decidedly  Arminian  in  sentiment  than  they  were 
before. 

In  the  French  war,  which  commenced  in  1755,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  New-England  mingled  for  the  first  time  with  foreigners. 
These  were  men  who  were  dispo^^ed  to  ridicule  their  reverence 
for  God,  their  respect  for  the  Sabbath,  their  unhesitating  belief 
in  revelation,  their  abhorrence  of  pr(4anity  and  sensu^dity  ;  and 

*  This  eminent  divine  made  great  efforts  to  educate  Indian  youth,  and  esta- 
blished an  Indian  charity  school  at  Lebanon.  In  1769,  he  removed  his  school 
to  Hanover,  N.  H.  and  founded  Dartmouth  CoUeace.  He  had  forty  Indian 
youth  under  his  care  ;  twenty  of  them,  however,  returned  to  savage  life.  One, 
Samjison  Occum,  became  a  preacher  of  some  distinction,  and  acted  as  a  mis- 
sionary among  his  brethren.  He  went  to  England,  where  he  was  yiewed  as  a 
J^reat  curiosity. 


Chap.  20.     effects  op  the  revolutionary  war.       347 

men  who  naturally  had  a  great  influence  over  them  as  officers 
from  the  mother  country.  The  association  was  very  destructive 
to  the  piety  and  morals,  especially  of  the  youth  of  New-England. 

The  churches  engaged  in  controversy  with  the  Sandemanians, 
or  followers  of  Mr  Rohert  Sandeman,  who  came  into  the  coun- 
try about  1760.  and  established  churches  at  Boston  and  Uanbury, 
Connecticut.  His  peculiar  sentiments  were,  *'  That  justifying 
faith  is  no  more  than  a  simple  belief  of  the  truth  or  the  divine  tes- 
timony passively  received,  and  that  this  divine  testimony  is  in 
itself  sufficient  ground  of  hope  to  those  who  believe  it  without 
any  thing  wrought  in  us  or  done  by  us  to  give  it  a  particular  direc- 
tion to  ourselves."  He  adopted  also  some  peculiar  rites  and 
ceremonies.  This  controversy  naturally  increased  the  Armin- 
ian  spirit  that  was  rapidly  growing  in  the  country. 

The  revolutionary  war  engrossed  the  supreme  attention  of 
every  individual.  Had  it  been  attended  only  with  the  ordinary 
consequences  of  war,  it  must  have  been  exceedingly  destruc- 
tive to  the  interests  of  vital  piety.  War  always  lays  waste  the 
morals  of  a  nation,  and  hardens  the  heart  and  sears  the  con- 
science of  depraved  man.  In  the  revolutionary  war,  the  clergy 
took  an  active  part.  It  was  the  constant  subject  of  prayer  and 
preaching,  especially  on  all  public  occasions.  Many  forsook  their 
charges,  and  btcame  chaplains  in  the  army.  All  the  worst  pas- 
sions of  man  were  brought  into  exercise  by  the  introduction  and 
depreciation  of  paper  currency.  But  a  greater  evil  than  all  was, 
the  nation  was  brought  into  alliance  with  the  French,  and  pre- 
pared to  drink  deep  of  the  intoxicating  cup  of  French  infidelity. 
The  country  was  filled  with  the  friends,  and  deluged  with  the 
writings  of  Voltaire,  Rousseau,  d'Alembert,  and  Diderot.  An  im- 
mense edition  of  Paine's  Age  of  Reason  was  printed  in  Paris,  and 
sent  to  America  to  be  given  away  or  sold  for  a  few  pence  a  copy. 
Many  were  the  secret  friends  of  the  nev/  philosophy,  and  not  a 
few  in  the  high  places  became  its  open  advocates.  Secret 
societies  were  forming  in  the  country  with  similar  views  to  the 
illuminati  in  Europe,  and  Christianity  seemed  in  danger  of  being 
overthrown  in  this  precious  land,  as  it  had  been  in  France. 
But  an  able  clergy  remained  in  her  churches,  who  only  needed 
to  be  aroused  to  a  sense  of  danger.  They  were  soon  found  to 
be  neither  unfaithful,  timid,  or  weak.  Among  the  bold  assail- 
ants upon  the  destroying  monster  stood  pre-eminent  Dr.  Dwight, 
president  of  Yale  College.  The  churches  were  roused  and  be- 
came watchful  and  prayerful.  Men  of  intellect,  in  the  various 
walks  of  life,  were  convinced  of  the  danger  to  which  they  had  been 
exposed,  and  turned  in  abhorrence  from  the  vile  seducers,  to 


348   CONGREGATIONALISTS  OP  N.  ENGLAND.   PeRIOD  IIL 

the  word  of  God.  The  spirit  of  grace  began  to  descend  upon 
various  parts  of  New-England.  A  series  of  revivals,  almost 
unparalleled  for  purity  and  power,  rapidly  succeeded  one  ano* 
ther.  Many  colleges  were  remarkably  blessed.  A  numerous 
body  of  learned,  experimental  christians  entered  the  ministry, 
under  whose  labours,  accompanied  with  signal  outpourings  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  orthodox  churches  of  New-England  have 
risen,  within  twenty  years,  to  a  state  of  prosperity  which  calls 
for  the  warmest  expressions  of  gratitude  and  praise.  Their 
number  of  communicants  is  far  greater  now  than  at  any  former 
period.  Still  however,  manv  great  and  alarming  evils  exist. 
Many  plaices,  where  were  once  flourishing  churches,  have  be- 
come waste.  In  others,  vvhere  the  Gospel  is  preached,  it  is 
supported  with  great  reluctance.  In  all,  profanity.  Sabbath- 
breaking,  intemperance,  and  unbelief,  are  shamefully  prevalent. 
Powerful  efforts  have  of  late  been  made  by  means  of  domestic 
missionary  societies,  to  reclaim  waste  places,  and,  by  means  of 
moral  societies,  to  reform  the  community. 

In  Massachusetts,  the  clergy  and  churches  which  were  Armi- 
nian,  have,  with  the  university  of  Cambridge,  recently  become 
Unitarian.  A  few  have  united  with  them  in  other  parts  of  New- 
England.  With  the  exception  of  these,  the  congregationalists 
generally,  closely  adhere  to  (the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation. 
If  there  is  any  one  point  of  doctrine  by  which  they  may  be  cha- 
racterized, it  is  the  distinction  betwen  man's  natural  and  moral 
ability  to  obey  the  law  of  God  and  receive  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
Viewing  him  as  possessed  of  all  his  original  natural  faculties, 
they  consider  him  as  under  obligation  to  do  all  that  God  re- 
quires of  him,  and  guilty  for  not  doing  it.  They  call  upon  him 
Immediately  to  make  to  himself  a  new  heart  and  follow  Christ. 
At  the  same  time  they  view  him  as  totally  averse  to  the  service 
of  Christ,  and  made  actively  and  cheerfully  obedient  only  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  operating  by  the  truth.  No  ministers 
therefore  are  more  full  believers  in  personal  election,  and  more 
active  in  the  use  of  means  that  revivals  may  be  promoted,  sin- 
ners be  gathered  in,  and  the  world  be  converted  to  God. 

There  are  in  New-England  about  1000  churches  and  con* 
gregations,  which  are  supplied  with  well  educated  and  pious 
ministers,  and  have  handsome  houses  for  pubHc  worship.  The 
office  of  Teacher  as  distinct  from  Pastor,  and  of  ruling  Elder, 
is  entirely  extinct.  In  almost  every  county,  the  ministers  meet 
wice  a  year  in  Association  for  mutual  improvement ;  to  con- 
sider and  improve  the  state  of  rehgion  in  their  bounds,  and  to 
examine  and  license  candidates  for  the  ministry.     They  also 


Chap.  20.   theological  seminaries,     ministers.      349 

appoint  delegates  who,  in  each  state,  meet  annually  in  General 
Association  or  (  onvention.  These  public  bodies  are  represent- 
ed by  delegates  in   each  other's  assembly  and  are  very  harmo- 

;  nious.     They  have  a  similar  connexion  with  the  General  As- 

,  sembly  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

I      I'here  are  a  few  congregational  churches  in  New- York  and 

i  Ohio — composed  chiefly  of  emigrants  from  New-England. 

The  CongregationaUsts  were  early  distinguished  for  efforts  to 

I  christianize  the  Indians  and  have,  of  late,  been  very  active  in 
sending  the  Gospel  to  the  new  settlements  and  to  Pagan  na- 
tions. 

A  valuable  Theological  seminary  was  established  at  Andover, 
Mass.  in  1 808,  through  the  princely  munificence  of  a  few  in- 
dividuals. It  has  four  professorships,  one  of  Sacred  Rhetoric,  one 
of  Christian  Theology,  one  of  Sacred  Rhetoric  and  Ecclesiasti- 

;  cal  History   and  one  of  Sacred  Literature. 

I  Its  course  of  instruction  extends  through  three  years.  The  ave- 
rage number  of  its  students  is  about  140.  A  Theological  school 
is  also  connected  with  Yale  College  and  with  Harvard  Univer- 
sity. One  is  estabhshed  also  at  Bangor,  Maine,  for  the  educa- 
tion of  young  men  for  the  ministry,  who  have  not  received  a 
collegiate  education. 

The  state  of  literature  in  New  England  has  ever  been  very 
respectable  ;  and  in  no  part  of  the  Christian  church  have  the  doc- 

I  trines  of  the  gospel  been  so  well  understood  by  the  great  mass  of 
her  ordinary  members.  Catechetical  instruction  has  been  thor- 
oughly pursued.  Sabbath  schools  and  Bible  classes  are  now  hi 
powerful  operation.  And  the  orthodox  clergy  have  considered 
it  a  great  part  of  their  business,  continually  to  explain  and  defend 
the  great  doctrines  of  natural  and  revealed  religion. 

The  distinguished  lights  of  these  churches  have  been  nume- 
rous.      Cotton,^    Hooker,^     Davenport,**'    the    two   Mathers,* 

[a]  Mr.  Cotton  died,  Dec.  23,  1652.  Before  coming  to  Boston,  he  had  been  a 
very  eminent  minister  in  Boston,  Eng.  He  was  a  great  scholar  and  an  eloquent 
man,  but  was  strangely  deluded  by  Mrs.  Hutchinson. 

[6]  Mr.  Hooker  died  at  Hartford,  July  6,  1647,  aged  61.  Dr.  Ames  declared 
that  he  never  met  with  Mr.  Hooker's  equal,  either  in  preaching  or  disputation. 

[c]  At  the  close  of  Ufe,  Mr.  D.  removed  to  Boston,  and  became  pastor  of  the 
(irst  church.     He  died  March  15,  1670,  aged  73. 

[d]  Increase  and  Cotton,  father  and  son.  The  first  was  sixty-two  years  minis- 
ter in  Boston,  and  President  of  Harvard  College,  a  man  of  great  learning  and 
extensive  usefulness.  He  died  in  1723,  aged  84.  The  second  succeeded  him 
in  the  pastoral  office.  He  was  a  prodigy  of  learning  and  eminently  pious.  His 
pubUcations  amouDt  to  382.  Among  them  was  an  ecclesiastical  history  of  New 
England. 

30 


350     CONGREGATIONALISTS  OF  N.  ENGLAND.  PeRIOD  III. 

Shepherd,^  Chauncey/  Willard,^  Wadsworth,^  and  Colman,' 
shone  conspicuous  in  their  early  periods.  Of  a  later  age  have 
been  the  two  Presidents  Edwards,^  and  Doctors  Bellamy,^ 
Hopkins,*"  Lathrop."  Dvvight,^  Strong,?  Trumbull,^  Backus,^ 
Smalley.s 


trated. 

f/l  [g] 

[i]  Mir 

[k]  Fat 

at  Yale  C 


[e]  Minister  of  Cambridge.  Author  of  *'  the  parable  of  the  ten  vii'gins  illus- 
trated. 

[S]  W  Presidents  of  Harvard  College. 
Minister  in  Boston.     Died  Aug.  29,  1747,  aged  73. 

Father  and  son.  The  former  was  born  at  Windsor,  Conn.  1703,  educated 
le  College,  and  settled  in  the  ministry  at  Northampton.  He  died  in  the 
presidency  of  Princeton  College,  \larch  22,  1758,  aged  54  He  was  the  most 
acute  metaphysician  and  distinguished  divine  of  that  age,  and  perhai)s  any  other. 
His  works  are  published  in  8  vols.  8vo.  The  latter  was  some  years  minister  at 
New  Haven,  and  died  in  tbe  presidency  of  Union  College,  August  1,  1801,  aged 
56,  but  little  inferior  as  a  theologian  to  his  father. 

[/]  Minister  of  Bethlehem  Ct  A  most  powerful  jtreacher  and  able  instructor 
in  theology.  A  large  number  of  young  men  were  fitted  by  him  for  the  ministry. 
He  died  iVIarch  9,  1790,  aged  71. 

[m]  Minister  of  Newport,  R  1.  author  of  a  System  of  Divinity.  He  was  sup- 
posed to  carry  the  principles  of  Calvin  farther  than  any  other  writer.  His  lead- 
ing principle  was,  that  holiness  consists  in  disinterested  benevolence,  and  sin  in 
selfishness.  Such  as  coincided  with  him  have  been  called  Hopkinsians  Died 
Dec.  20,  1803,  aged  83. 

[n]  Minister  of  West  Springfield,  author  of  a  number  of  volumes  of  popular 
sermons. 

[o]  President  of  Yale  College.  He  was  born  at  Northampton,  1752,  educated 
at  Yale  College,  and  settled  in  the  ministry  at  Greenfield,  Ct.  In  1795  he  remo- 
ved to  New  Haven,  where  he  died  in  the  presidency  Feb.  11,  1817,  aged  65. 
He  was  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  excellent  and  useful  men  in  the  church  of 
Christ  His  theological  lectures  delivered  to  the  College  students,  have  been 
published  since  his  death  in  4  vols.  Svo. 

[p]  Minister  in  Hartford,  Ct.  A  sound  theologian  -and  most  solemn  and  pene- 
trating preacher  of  the  gospel.  Died  Dec.  25,  1816,  aged  68.  Author  of  Be- 
nevolence and  Misery,  or  the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked  vindicated. 

[q]  Minister  in  North  Haven,  Ct.  an  excellent  divine,  and  author  of  a  history 
of  Connecticut. 

fr]  Minister  in  Somers,  Ct.  and  head  of  a  large  Theological  school.  Died 
1803. 

[s]  Minister  in  Berlin,  Ct.  A  man  of  astonishing  logical  powers,  who  contri- 
buted more  than  any  one  ef  his  age  to  the  progress  of  theological  science.  DieV 
1820,  aged  86. 


Chap.  21.  episcopal  church.  351 


CHAPTRR  XXI. 

Episcopal,   Presbyterian,  Dutch,   Associate  Reformed-   German 
Lutheran,  and  ,ieformed  Churches  in  the  United  States. 

The  state  of  Virginia  was  settled  for  purposes  of  worldly  emolu- 
ment. The  emigrants  from  Kngland,  who  took  possession  of 
that  favoured  soil,  with  few  ex-eptions,  fled  not  from  their  coun- 
try for  the  enjoyment  of  religious  liberty.  They  were  episco- 
palians, high  in  favor  with  the  governing  party  in  b^ngland.  Plant- 
ed in  America,  they  took  bold  and  decisive  measures  to  establish 
and  maintain  their  own  worship.  As  early  as  1621,  we  find  the 
Virginia  com!)any  setting  apart  in  each  of  the  boroughs,  an  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  for  a  glebe,  and  two  hundred  pounds  sterling, 
to  be  raised  as  a  standing,  and  certain  revenues  out  of  the  profits 
of  each  parish  to  make  a  living.  There  were  at  this  time  five 
ministers  in  the  colony.  In  U».53,  the  Legislature  passed  severe 
laws  against  all  sectaries  which  drove  numbers  of  independents 
and  presbyterians  from  their  colony,  an  I  prevented  others  from 
settling.  Some  pious  people  there,  however  earnestly  desired 
some  ministers  from  the  eastern  churches  and  three  were  sent  to 
them  from  Boston  in  1642  ;  but  by  the  law  of  the  state  such  as 
woul  1  not  conform  to  the  ceremonies  of  the  church  of  England, 
were  required  to  depart  on  a  certain  day,  and  they  returned  in 
a  iew  months  A  congregational  church  six  years  after,  had 
increased  to  the  number  of  101  persons  ;  but  its  pastors  were 
obliged  to  depart,  and  it  was  dispersed.  During  the  triumph  of 
the  puritans  in  England,  multitudes  of  episcopalians  came  to  this 
colony  for  the  enjoyment  of  church  privileges,  and  on  the  resto- 
ration of  Charles  !1.  the  church  became  very  prosperous.  It 
received  the  support  of  the  legislature  :  "  handsome  churches 
were  built  ;  glebes  were  laid  out,  and  vestries  appointed ;  minis- 
ters, who  had  received  their  ordination  from  England,  were  in- 
ducted by  the  governor;  all  others  were  prohibited  from  preach- 
ing on  pain  of  suspension  or  banishment.  The  English  in  general^ 
who  settled  the  other  southern  states,  were  of  the  same  order, 
excepting  the  settlers  of  Maryland,  who  were  Roman  Catholics. 
Those  that  were  puritans,  found  the  best  asylum  in  New  England. 

In  1693,  Mr.  James  Blair  founded  in  Virginia,  under  a  charter 
from  queen  Mary.  William  and  Mary  College,  and  served  as 
president  of  it  fifty  years. 


352  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  PeRIOD   111. 

The  first  Episcopal  society  in  Boston  was  formed  in  1686, 
when  Sir  Edmund  Andros  assumed  the  government  of  the  colony. 
To  encourage  the  emigration  of  episc(.pal  clejgymen  from  Eng- 
land, Sir  Edmund  pronounced  no  marriages  vahd,  unless  cele- 
brated according  to  the  rites  of  the  church  of  England.  The 
old  South  church  was  demanded  and  used  for  the  episcopal  ser- 
vice, [n  iG88  a  church  was  built  in  Tremont-street  and  calledi: 
the  King  s  chapel.  i 

To  Cun.iecticut  episcopacy  was  introduced  in  the  year  1706, 
Some  of  the  people  of  Stratford  had  been  educated  in  the  doc- 
trines and  practices  of  the  church  of  England,  and  being  dissatis-  [ 
fied  with  the  rigid  doctrines  and  disciphne  of  the  puiitans,  invited  j 
Mr.  Muirson,  a  church  missionary  at  Rye,  N.  Y.  to  labor  among 
then..      Mr.    M.  came  and  baptized  five-and-twenty.      He  made  | 
several  successive  visits;  and  in  1722,  IVlr.  Figot  was  appoiiited  j 
by  the  society  for  propagating  the  gospel   in   foreign  paits,  mis*  | 
■Nonary  at    .-tratford.      He  had   twenty  communicants,  and  one  ij 
hundred  and  fifty  hearers.  i 

Soon   afler  the  establishment  of  Yale  College,  a  number  of  I 
new  and  learned  works  on  the  arminian  and  prelatical  contro-  j 
versy,   were   presented  to   its  library.     1  hese  were   read  with  ! 
avidity  by  President  Cutler,  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  of  West  Haven,  j 
and  Rev.  Mr.  Wetmore  of  North  Haven,  who  became  converts  to  j 
arminianism  and  episcopacy.      They  all  resigj  eo  their  respective 
charges,  and  went  to    England  in    1722,  and  obtained  orders. 
President  Cutler  became   rector  of  Chtist's  church  in   BostoHi 
where   he    remained    until   his  death,  August    17,    1765.      Mr. 
Johnson  became  rector  of  Christ's  chuK  h  in  Stratforcl,  where 
he  remamed   until  1754,  when   he  was  elected  President  of  Co- 
lumbia (  ollege  in  New  York.     Mr.  Wetmore  was  stationed  as  a 
missionary  at  Rye.      In  a  few  years  a  nupiber  of  persons  in  the 
county  of  Fairfield,  adopted  the  episcopal  worship  ;  and  for  some 
time  a  warm  controversy  was  carried  on  between  Mr.  Johnson, 
Mr.  Wetmore,  Mr.  Beach   and  Mr.  Carver  on  the  one  side,  and 
Mr.  Hobart    Mr.  Graham,  Mr.  Dickinson,  and  Mr.  Foxcrafl  on 
the  other. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  whole 
number  of  Episcopal  clergymen  to  the  north  and  east  of  Mary- 
land did  not  exceed  eighty  ;  and  these,  with  the  exception  of 
those  settled  in  Boston,  Newport,  New- York  and  Philadelphia, 
derived  the  greater  part  of  their  subsistence  from  the  society 
estabhshed  in  England  for  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  in  for- 
eign parts,  in  Maryland  and  Virginia  they  were  more  nume- 
rcnis  and  had  legal  establishments  for  their  support, 


Chap.  21.  the   united   states.  353 

The  governors  of  the  provinces  had  an  inducement  to  patro- 
nise the  episcopal  order,  as  it  would  have  given  them  populari- 
ty in  the  mother  country  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  many  grants 
would  have  been  very  obnoxious  to  the  presbyterians  and  inde- 
pendents, who  composed  the  great  body  of  the  people.  The 
largest  grant  ever  made  was  of  land  to  Trinity  church  in  New- 
York,  which  was  at  the  time  inconsiderable  in  itself,  but  which 
has  been  ultimately  of  immense  value  from  the  extension  of  the 
city. 

The  church  laboured  under  great  disadvantages  from  the 
distance  by  which  it  was  separated  from  England.  The  bishop 
of  London  was  the  diocesan  of  the  episcopal  churches  in  Ame- 
rica, and  his  inspection  was  unavoidably  very  imperfect,  and  his 
authority  not  much  regarded.  In  Maryland,  the  civil  law  for- 
bade his  interference,  except  in  the  busines  of  ordination.  How 
unworthy  soever  an  officer  might  be.  he  could  not  there  depose 
him.  Every  candidate  for  the  ministry  was  obliged  to  go  to  En- 
gland for  orders,  which  was  often  very  difficult  and  always 
expensive. 

Applications  were  often  made  to  the  mother  church  for  an 
episcopate  here  ;  but  the  applications  were  warmly  opposed 
from  the  fear  that  bishops  here  would  assume  the  same  spiritual 
authority  they  had  exercised  in  England,  and  interfere  with  the 
original  design  of  the  greater  part  of  the  colonists  in  coming  to 
the  countiy. 

During  the  revolutionary  contest,  all  intercourse  with  the  mo- 
ther church  was  entirely  suspended.  No  candidates  were  able 
to  obtain  orders,  and  the  parishes  which  were,  from  time  to 
time,  deprived  of  their  ministers,  by  death,  remained  vacant. 
Many  ministers,  attached  to  the  British  government,  were  un- 
willing to  omit  in  the  liturgy,  as  they  were  required  to  do,  the 
prnyer  for  the  king,  and  ceased  officiating.  Most  of  the  epis- 
copal churches,  therefore,  were  entirely  closed. 

Upon  the  establishment  of  the  American  government,  the 
episcopal  churches  found  it  necessary  for  them  to  form  some 
social  compact,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  care  of  some  charita- 
ble funds  which  they  had  held  under  the  British  governors,  and 
promoting  their  general  welfare.  A  meetinix  was  held  of  a  few 
clergymen  in  the  middle  states,  at  Brunswick,  (N.  J.)  May  14, 
1784.  Ttiis  was  adjourned  to  a  more  general  meeting  at  New- 
York,  in  October,  where  the  basis  was  laid  of  a  future  ecclesias- 
tical government. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1785,  a  convention  of  clerical  and 
lay  deputies  from  the  middle  and  southern  states,  met  in  Phila^ 

30* 


354        EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  STATES.       PeRIOD   IIJ. 

delphia.  The  eastern  churches  were  not  represented,  as  they 
had  adopted  measures  to  procure  for  themselves  a  bishop.  The 
convention  made  such  alterations  in  the  Book  of  Common  Pra}^- 
er,  as  should  adapt  it  to  the  federal  government.  They  next 
proceeded  to  the  subject  of  obtaining  a  bishop.  The  Rev.  Sa- 
muel Seabury,  D.  D.  had  returned  to  Connecticut  from  England- 
consecrated  to  the  bishop's  office,  not  by  the  bishops  of  Eng- 
land, but  by  the  nonjuring  bishops  of  Scotland,  who  had  broken 
from  the  state  in  the  revolution  of  1688.  But  they  prefered. 
if  possible,  receiving  a  consecration  from  the  presiding  prelates 
in  England  ;  and,  finding  some  encouragement,  they  made  appli- 
cation which  was  favourably  received.  An  act  of  parliament 
was  obtained  for  consecrating  for  America  ;  and  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Provost,  D.  D.,  rector  of  Trinity  church  in  New-York,  and  the 
Rev.  William  White,  D.  D  rector  of  Christ's  church,  and  St. 
Peter's,  in  Philadelphia,  being  recommended  by  the  episcopal 
convention,  were  consecrated  as  bishops,  Feb.  4,  1787,  by  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the  chapel  of  the  archi-episcopal 
palace  of  Lambeth.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Griffith,  of  Virginia,  was 
at  the  same  time  recommended,  but  was  unable  to  go  (o  England, 
and  soon  died.  Soon  after,  however,  the  Rev.  James  Madison, 
D.  D.  of  Virginia,  was  elected  in  his  stead,  and  went  to  England 
and  received  consecration.  Immediately  on  the  return  of  these 
laew  bishops,  they  took  charge  of  their  dioceses,  which  extend- 
ed over  the  states  in  which  they  resided,  and  proceeded  to  give 
orders,  and  to  ordain  bishops  for  several  states  in  the  union. 

To  perpetuate  their  body,  the  convention  of  Philadelphia 
framed  an  ecclesiastical  constitution  ;  in  which  it  was  provided, 
that  there  should  be  a  triennial  convention  from  the  bishops, . 
clergy,  and  churches  of  each  state,  "  that  the  different  orders 
of  clergy  should  be  accountable  only  to  the  ecclesiastical  autho- 
rity in  the  state  to  which  they  should  respectively  belong  ;  and 
that  the  engagement  previous  to  ordination  should  be  a  declara- 
tion of  belief  in  the  holy  scriptures,  and  a  promise  of  conformi- 
ty  to  the  doctrine  and  worship  of  the  church." 

In  the  triennial  convention  in  1789,  an  union  was  formed  be- 
tween the  eastern  and  southern  churches.  Bishop  Seabury 
was  acknowledged  ;  the  liturgy  was  revised,  and  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer  was  established  in  its  present  form. 

The  episcopalians  have  now  in  the  United  States  ten  bishops 
and  seven  hundred  churches.  Their  bishops  have  been  their 
most  distinguished  men.  They  can  also  boast  of  the  two  John- 
sons, father  and  son,  successive  presidents  of  Columbia  College. 
two  of  the  most  learned  men  America  has  produced. 


Chap.  21.  Presbyterian  church-  S55 

They  have  four  colleges  under  their  direction,  one  in  Virginia^ 
two  in  New-York,  one  in  Connecticut.  They  are  generally 
Arminians,  though  a  few  ministers  and  churches  have  embraced 
Calvinistic  sentiments. 

PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH. 

The  Presbyterian  church  in  the  United  States,  was  originally 
composed  of  a  few  strict  presbyterians  from  Scotland  and  Ire- 
land, and  some  congregationalists  from  New-England  and  South 
Britain.  These  were  scattered  through  the  middle  states  for 
near  half  a  century,  with  but  few  ministers  and  no  bond  of 
union,  and  in  Virginia  in  particular,  oppressed  by  episcopacy. 
At  length,  in  1716,  a  synod  was  formed,  called  the  Synod  of 
Philadelphia,  consisting  of  the  presbyteries  of  Philadelphia, 
New  Castle,  Snow  Hill  and  Long  Island.  But  in  this  body 
thus  organized,  there  was  not  perfect  harmony.  The  old 
presbyterians  were  in  favour  of  strict  presbyterianism,  and 
were  great  advocates  for  a  learned  ministry.  The  congrega- 
tionalists cared  but  little  about  rigid  forms,  and  were  willing 
to  receive  men  into  the  ministry  who  were  eminently  pious, 
though  they  might  be  without  great  learning.  In  1729,  the 
synod  passed  the  adopting  measure,  by  which  the  Westminster 
confession  of  faith  was  adopted  as  the  standard  of  the  church- 
es, and  every  minister  was  bound  to  subscribe  to  it,  on  his  en- 
trance into  the  ministry  :  but  the  congregationalists  were  not 
cordial  in  it,  and  for  many  years,  contention  ran  very  high. 
The  two  parties  were  called  the  Old  side  and  the  New  side,  and 
sometimes,  New  lights.  These  were  more  attached  to  experi- 
mental religion,  than  the  old  side  ;  and  when  Mr.  Whitefield 
went  through  the  country,  such  was  their  attachment  to  him 
and  his  preaching,  and  such  the  aversion  expressed  by  the  old 
side,  that  a  rent  was  made,  and  the  synod  of  New- York  was 
established  by  the  new  side,  in  opposition  to  the  synod  of 
Philadelphia.  The  leading  divines  in  this  separation  were  the 
Tennents,*  Blairs,  Dickinsons,  Piersons,  Woodbridge,  Dr.  Fin- 
ley  and  Mr.  Burr.  The  Thompsons,  Dr.  Allison  and  Robert 
Cross,  headed  the  old  side.  But  they  were  men  in  whom  was 
the  spirit  of  piety  and  love,  and  soon  grew  ashamed  and  weary 

*  Gilbert  and  William,  brothers.  The  first  was  minister  of  Philadelphia,  a 
man  of  large  stature,  grave  aspect,  and  powerful  in  persuading  men,  by  the  ter- 
rors of  the  Lord.  He  succeeded  Mr.  Whitefield  in  his  labours,  in  Boston,  in 
1741.  His  preaching  there  was  exceedingly  blessed.  Above  2000  anxious  sin- 
ners, applied  to  their  ministers  for  guidance,  during  his  ministry  there.  He 
died  1764. 

The  second,  was  minister  of  Freehold,  N.  J.,  and  was  the  means  of  advancihe 
tUc  cause  of  religion,  in  a  very  remarkable  degree  in  New  Jersey. 


356        PRESBYTERIANS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.   PeRIOdIH. 

of  contention.  In  1758,  an  union  was  happily  formed,  and  the 
two  synods  moved  forward  in  much  harmony.  Gaining  in  ; 
strength  and  importance,  they  commenced  in  1785,  a  revision  \ 
of  their  standards,  and  in  1786,  resolved,  that  the  two  synods 
be  divided  into  three  or  more  synods,  out  of  which  shall  be 
composed  a  general  assembly  of  the  presbyterian  chtirch.  This 
assembly  was  first  convened  at  Philadelphia,  in  1789.  From 
that  period  the  presbyterian  church  has  moved  on,  not  without 
internal  contention,  but  with  amazing  prosperity  and  success, 
until  she  numbers  within  her  bounds  16  synods,  89  presbyteries, 
1214  ministers,  1887  churches,  and  135,285  communicants, 
scattered  through  the  middle,  southern  and  western  states. 
Her  doctrine  and  discipline  is  strictly  Calvinistic.  Her  clergy 
have  been  pious,  learned  and  active.  Frequent  outpourings 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  have  refreshed  her  in  all  her  borders.  For 
the  instruction  of  her  youth,  a  college  was  founded  in  1746,  at 
Elizabethlown,  in  1747,  removed  to  New-York,  and  in  1757, 
to  Princeton,  N.  J.,  which  has  to  this  day,  maintained  a  high 
standing.  With  this  was  connected,  in  1812,  a  Theological 
seminary.  This  has  three  professors,  one  of  didactic  and  po- 
lemic theology,  one  of  ecclesiastical  history  and  church  go- 
vernment, and  one  of  oriental  and  biblical  literature,  16  scholar- 
ships, and  usually  about  100  students. 

Theological  seminaries  similar  to  this,  have  also  recently  been 
estabhshed  at  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  Hampden  Sydney,  Va.,  and  at 
Alleghany  town,  near  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

As  early  as  1766,  the  synod  of  New-York  and  Philadelphia 
instituted  missions  to  the  destitute.  After  the  formation  of 
the  general  assembly,  they  were  managed  by  that  body  until 
1802,  when  a  standing  committee  of  missions  was  appointed. 
About  100,000  dollars,  have  in  the  last  20  years,  been  expend- 
ed by  them. 

Besides  those  above  mentioned,  the  presbyterian  church 
counts,  among  her  distinguished  lights.  President  Davies,* 
Witherspoon,!  and  Dr.  Rodgers.J 

*  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  and  useful  ministers  of 
the  Christian  church.  A  very  powerful  revival  of  religion,  having  commenced 
in  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  the  seat  of  episcopacy  in  1740,  application  was 
made  to  the  synod  of  New-York,  for  aid.  Mr.  Tennent  and  Mr.  Finley,  first 
visited  that  region.  They  were  succeeded  by  Mr  Whitefield,  and  then  by  Mr. 
Davies,  who  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  there,  in  1748.  In  seven  years,  he  had 
300  communicants.  In  1759,  he  was  chosen  to  the  presideucy  of  Princeton  Col- 
lege, which  office  he  filled  until  his  death,  Feb.  4,  1761,  aged  36.  Three  vols, 
of  his  sermons  are  printed. 

t  Dr.  Witherspoon,  was  for  some  years  minister  of  Paisly,  in  Scotland, 
where  he  was  most  highly  esteemed,  as  an  able  and  pious  divine.     He  was  the 


Chap.  21.  dutch  church  in  the  united  states.        357 

The  general  assembly,  composed  of  clergy  and  laity,  dele- 
gated from  the  presbyteries,  meets  annually  in  May,  at  Phila- 
delphia. 

CUMBERLAND     PRESBYTERIANS. 

In  1810,  a  body  of  presbyterians  in  Kentucky  and  Tenes- 
see,  separated  from  the  general  assembly  of  the  presbyterian 
church,  and  formed  an  independent  body,  called  the  Cumber- 
land Presbytery.  The  ground  of  separntion.  was  a  difference 
of  opinion,  concerning  the  proper  quahfications  for  the  minis- 
try ; — they  considering  it  adviseable  to  put  into  the  sacred  of- 
fice, men  of  piety,  though  destitute  of  a  liberal  education. 
They  use  the  confession  and  discipline  of  the  presbyteriaa 
church,  thoujjjh  they  deny  predestination.  They  commenced 
with  nine  preachers,  and  have  now  about  100  conjfregations 
and  three  presbyteries.  Their  preachers  itinerate;  with  them 
originated  camp  meetings,  which  they  continue.  They  labour 
and  pray  much  for  revivals,  which  have  been  frequent  among 
them. 

DUTCH  CHURCH. 

The  Dutch  reformed  church  was  first  established  in  New- 
York  in  1693  exactly  according  to  the  pattern  of  the  reformed 
churches  in  Holland.  From  that  period  until  1737,  nothing 
worthy  of  record  transpired,  excepting  that  the  doctrines  of  the 
reformation  were  preached  by  learned  ministers  from  Holland 
in  purity  and  power,  and  th*-  ordinances  of  the  gof^pel  were  re- 
gularly administered  to  a  serious  and  devout  people. 

In  1737,  some  incipient  steps  were  taken  toward  forming  a 
Coetus,  an  assembly  of  mmisters  and  elders,  to  be  subordinate  to 
the  classis  of  Amsterdam  ;  but  such  a  body  was  not  fully  esta- 
blished until  1747.  It  then  met  at  New-York.  It  was  the  first 
judicatory  m  the  American  branch. 

As  the  churches  increased,  they  had  need  of  many  ministers. 

leader  of  the  orthodox  party  in  Scotland.  Upon  invitation,  he  removed  to  New 
Jersey,  and  became  president  of  Princeton  college,  in  1768.  He  was  also  aii 
eminent  politician,  and  was  appointed  member  of  Congress.  He  was  one  of  the 
signers  of  the  declaration  of  independence.  He  chtsed  his  life  in  the  service  of 
the  College  and  country,  Nov.  15,  1794,  aged  72  His  works  are  in  4  vols.  8vo. 
t  Dr.  Rodgers,  was  the  father  of  presbyterianism,  in  the  city  of  New-York. 
He  was  converted  under  the  preaching  of  Whitfield,  and  first  settled  in  Dela-- 
ware,  in  1749.  In  1761,  he  removed  to  Wall-street  church,  in  New- York, 
where  he  remained  imtil  his  death,  May  7,  1811,  aged  83,  full  of  usefulness  and 
honour. 


358       DUTCH  CHURCH   IN  THE   UNITED  STATES.    PeRIOD  III. 

These  they  had  generally  received  from  the  schools  in  Holland. 
Such  of  their  own  youth  as  desired  the  ministry  were  obhged 
to  repair  to  the  mother  country  for  instruction  and  ordination. 
This  was  found  to  be  both  difficult  and  expensive  ;  and,  in  1754, 
a  plan  was  proposed  to  charjge  the  Cootus  into  an  independent 
Classisy  which  should  have  the  powei  of  ordaining.  It  met  the 
approbation  of  the  major  part  ;  but  some,  that  were  peculiarly 
partial  to  the  motl:er  cluuch,  violently  opp(»sed  it.  A  schism 
ensued,  which  for  many  years,  destroyed  tlie  peace  ai:d  pros- 
perity of  this  part  of  Zion.  Those  who  had  long  been  united 
in  the  tendeicst  bonds,  became  bitter  f(^es  Chvicles  which 
were  one  in  seistiment  and  name,  lefused  con.munion  ;  and  mi- 
nisters ceased  entirely  frcm  all  ndniirteiial  interc(M'ise.  1  he' 
Conferentie  mew.  as  the  cpposeis  lo  inc  ependence  wtie  called, 
viewed  no  man  as  fit  to  dispense  to  them  divine  tiuth  or  bieak 
the  bread  of  life,  who  had  not  been  educated  and  ordained  in 
Holland  As  those  v  ho  were  willing  to  en:igiate,  naturally 
adhered  to  those  with  whom  they  vv(  re  so  popular,  the  Coetus 
party  laid,  in  1770,  the  foundatior  of  a  college  at  New-Biuns- 
wick  N.  J.  which  was  called  Queen's  (ollege  where  they  might 
educate  their  sons  foi  the  ministry. 

In  May,  1766,  Mr,  John  H.  Livingston  of  New- York,  a  young 
man  of  much  promise,  went  to  Holland  to  puisue  his  theologi- 
cal studies.  He  had  viewed  with  grief  the  dissensions  of  the 
American  church,  and  now  exerted  himself  to  effect,  if  possible, 
a  radical  cure.  To  the  leading  divines  in  H(»lland,  he  represent- 
ed the  deplorable  effects  of  the  controveisy,  and  the  impor- 
tance of  their  having  in  Ameiica  the  power  of  ordination  ;  and 
he  finally  obtained  a  vf>te  in  their  supreme  judicatory,  empower- 
ing the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  to  settle  the  concerns  of  the 
American  church. 

On  his  return  to  New-York  in  1 770,  he  took  charge  of  a  church 
in  the  city,  and  soon  prevailed  uf.on  the  consistory  to  call  a  ge- 
neral meeting  of  the  f  ut(  h  churches.  'I  hey  met  in  ISew-York 
in  1771.  All  felt  tired  of  contention  ;  and,  without  much  delay, 
a  plan  of  pacification,  proposed  by  the  (  lassis  of  Amsterdam, 
was  unceremoniously  agreed  to.  Joy  reigned  throughout  the 
long  distracted  churches  ;  and,  forgetting  the  past  unhappy  con- 
tentions, they  moved  forward  with  much  harmony  and  strength 
in  building  up  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

From  that  period  to  the  present,  there  has  been  probably  less 
change  in  that,  than  in  any  portion  of  the  christian  church.— 
Queen's  College,  which  had  declined,  has  been  lately  rcMved.  In 


Chap.  21.    associate  reformed  church.       359 

1784,  a  theological  school  was  established  with  it.  Dr.  Living- 
ston was  made  the  first  theological  professor.  In  1810,  it  was 
united  to  Queen's  college,  and  removed  thither. 

The  Dutch  churches,  particularly  in  New-York  and  Albany, 
are  large  and  wealthy.  They  subscribe  the  canons  of  Dor- 
drecht. Their  ministers  are  required  once  on  the  Sabbath  to 
expound  the  catechism.  They  have  about  eighty  congregations 
composing  one  synotl.  Their  principal  divines  have  been  Doc- 
tors Laidlie,a  Livingston,^  Westerlo,^  Romeyn,^  Hardenburgh, 
and  Abeel. 

ASSOCIATE  REFORMED  CHURCH. 

About  the  middle  of  the  last  century  a  number  of  the  Scotch 
Seceders  emigrated  to  America,  and  as  they  had  here  nothing 
to  do  with  the  Burgess  oath  which  had  been  a  source  of  con- 
tention, the  Burgher  and  An!i-I5urgher  ministers  formed  a  coali- 
tion, and  joined  in  a  general  synod,  called  the  synod  of  New- 
York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  assumed  the  name  of  the  Associate 
Reformed  Church.  They  have  been  favoured  with  two  very 
distinguished  divines,  the  Drs  John  Masons,  father  and  son, 
ministers  of  the  church  in  New-York. 

GERMAN  CHURCHES. 

The  emigrants  from  Germany  to  America  settled  chiefly  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  greater  part  of  these  were  Lutherans.  But 
there  were  numbers  of  the  Reformed.  These  two  have  always 
been  separate  churches,  though  they  differ  but  little  in  their 
doctrines  and  church  government.  The  Lutherans  in  general 
no  longer  contend  for  the  old  views  of  the  eucharist,  and  the 
majority  of  the  Reformed  believe  with  the  Lutherans  in  general 
atonement.     In  many  places  they  have  jointly  erected  houses 

[a]  Minister  in  New- York.  He  was  originally  settled  in  a  church  at  Flushing, 
Zealand.  Came  to  New- York  in  1763,  and  died  in  1778.  He  was  the  first  who 
Hreached  in  the  Dutch  church  in  English. 

[b]  Dr.  L.  was  both  pastor  of  the  Dutch  church  in  New- York,  and  from 
1784  professor  of  Theology.  In  1810,  he  resigned  his  pastoral  relation,  and  re- 
moved to  Queen's  College  with  his  Theological  school,  and  took  charge  of  the 
whole  institution.  He  died  January  29,  1825,  aged  80,  highly  esteemed  through* 
out  the  American  churches. 

[c]  Minister  in  Albany. 

[d]  Minister  in  Schenectady,  a  man  of  extensive  learning,  a  professor  of  theo- 
logy in  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  and  one  of  the  principal  founders  of  Union 
CoJlesc. 


360  GERMAN  LUTHERANS  AND  CALVINISTS.       PeRIOD  III. 

of  worship,  worshipping  in  them  alternately,  and  having  sepa- 
rate ministers.  The  subject  of  union  has  often  been  discussed, 
and  is  ardently  desired  by  many,  on  both  sides.  A  hymn  book 
has  been  printed  for  the  joint  use  of  both  churches. 

The  government  of  both  is  substantially  Presbyterian.  The 
Lutherans'  borders  most  on  Independency.  Their  General 
Synod  is  viewed  rather  as  an  advisary  council.  The  Lutherans 
adopt  as  their  standard  of  faith  the  Augsburg  confession.  The 
Reformed,  the  Heidelberg  catechism  The  number  of  Lu- 
theran congregations  in  the  United  States  is  one  thousand,  that 
of  the  ministers  is  two  hundred.  They  have  suflfered  much 
from  the  want  of  learned  ministers.  To  remedy  the  evil,  a 
Theological  Seminary  was  erected  at  Gettysburgh,  Pa.,  and  a 
Professor  of  Christian  Theology,  inducted  May  5,  1826. 


Chap.  22.  unitarians.  36; 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Unitarians,  Anabaptists  or  Mennonites.  English  Baptists,  Ge- 
neral and  Particular.  American  Baptists.  Free  Willers. 
Seventh  day   Baptists.     (Quakers.     Shakers. 

The  Unitarians  are  properly  all  those  who  reject  the  doc- 
trine of  three  coequal  persons  in  the  Godhead,  and  suppose 
Jesus  Christ  to  be  a  created  being. 

Their  numbers  we  have  >een  to  be  very  great  in  the  tinae  of 
Arius.  During  the  long  reign  of  the  Roman  church,  they  were 
not  known  to  have  any  being.  But  in  the  earliest  periods  of 
the  reformation,  some  were  found  in  Switzerland,  Germany,  and 
Poland,  publicly  denying  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  endeavour- 
ing to  establish  a  system  of  religion  which  should  consist  wholly 
of  practical  piety.  They  were  among  different  sects  and 
classes,  unable  to  embody  themselves  and  become  a  regular 
denomination.  In  1532,  Michael  Servetus  published  seven 
books  "  concerning  the  errors  that  are  contained  in  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity,"  and,  under  the  ancient  sanguinary  code 
of  Frederic  II.  which  required  heretics  to  be  put  to  death,  was 
burned  at  Geneva.  His  notions  concerning  the  Supreme  Being 
are  said  to  have  been  very  obscure  and  chimerical.  He  agreed 
with  the  Anabaptists  in  censuring  infant  baptism.  Such  as  de- 
nied the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  were,  for  some  time  after,  called 
Servetians. 

In  1662,  died  at  Zurich,  Laelius  Socinus,  of  the  illustrious 
family  of  the  Sozzini,  in  Tuscany.  He  was  a  man  of  genius  and 
learning ;  and  becoming  disgusted  with  popery,  he  travelled 
through  the  reformed  countries  to  make  himself  acquainted 
with  the  system  of  the  reformers ;  but  finding  no  satisfaction, 
he  formed  a  system  of  his  own  which  he  communicated  secretly 
to  a  few  learned  men.  This  system  might  have  expired  with 
him,  had  it  not  been  drawn  from  liis  papers  and  published  by 
his  nephew,  Faustus,  for  certain  unitarians  who  were  scattered 
throughout  Poland.  Its  fundamental  principle  was,  '  That  Scrip- 
ture is  to  investigated  and  explained  by  human  reason,  and  that 
no  doctrine  is  to  be  acknowledged  by  us  which  is  not  level  to 
human  comprehension.'  He  not  only  rejected,  therefore,  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  but  supposed  that  Jesus  Christ  was  a 
mere  man,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  nothing  but  the  power  of 

31 


362  ujfiTARiANS.  Period  III. 

the  Father,  who  alone  is  God.  He  discarded  also  the  other  dis- 
tinguishing doctrines  of  the  reformers, — original  sin,  predestina- 
tion, propitiation  for  sin  b}*  the  death  of  Christ ;  and  viewed  Jesu? 
only  as  an  inspired  preacher  of  righteousness,  who  died  an  ex- 
ample of  heroism,  settino;  a  seal  to  his  doctrine  by  his  blood. 
He  viewed  the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked  as  disciplinary, 
to  be  succeeded  by  annihilation  if  it  did  not  bring  them  to 
repentance.  His  moral  system  chiefly  regarded  the  external 
actions  and  duties  of  life  ;  so  that  whoever  was  externally  vir- 
tuous was  to  be  received  as  a  Christian.  He  also  denied  the 
plenary  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures. 

Such  as  adopted  this  system,  have  since  been  called  Socinian?. 
Through  the  exertions  of  its  patrons,  it  was  received  by  multi- 
tudes, especially  in  the  higher  ranks  in  Poland.  Several  flou- 
rishing unilariHn  congregations  had  been  planted  in  Cracow, 
Lublin,  Pinczow,  Lauk  and  Smila.  In  1672,  their  ministers  trans- 
lated the  Bible  into  Polish,  and  in  1574,  they  had  drawn  up 
a  summary  of  rehgious  doctrine.  These,  Faustus  soon  drew 
over  to  bis  peculiar  views,  and  they  permitted  him  to  revise 
their  catechism  and  confession  of  faith,  which  has  from  that 
period  been  called  the  catechism  of  Racow,  and  considered  as 
the  true  confession  of  the  party. 

In  1563,  the  doctrine  of  Socinus  was  introduced  into  Tran- 
sylvania, and  received  by  vast  numbers.  Its  supporters  endea- 
voured also  to  introduce  it  into  Hungary  and  Austria,  but  met 
with  a  repulse  from  the  catholics  and  Lutherans.  Joseph  Sie- 
mienius  built  for  their  use  the  city  of  Racow.  There  they  set 
up  a  press  and  printed  many  books  and  tracts  which  they  dis- 
persed with  great  zeal  through  many  countries.  They  also 
sent  several  missionaries,  men  of  high  birth,  learning  and  elo- 
quence, into  many  parts  of  Europe,  but  without  much  success. 
A  small  congregation  was  gathered  at  Dantzic,  and  a  few  em- 
braced Socinianism  in  Holland  and  England. 

At  Racow  and  Lubhn  they  erected  seminaries  of  learning  ; 
and  gave  themselves  much  to  the  pursuits  of  human  science. 
About  1580  they  fell  into  dissension  relating  to  the  dignity  ol 
Christ's  nature  and  character,  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
and  infant  baptism.  Two  popular  sects  arose-,  one  called  the 
Budneans,  who  refused  rendering  any  worship  to  Christ ;  and- 
the  other  the  Farnovians,  who  inclined  to  Arianism. 

The  Socinians  continued  to  flourish  and  increase  until  about 
the  year  1638,  when,  having  excited  against  them  the  indigna- 
tion of  the  catholics,  the  government  demolished  the  academy 
at   Racow.  banished   the   professors,   destroyed   their   printing 


Chap.  22.  unitarians.  363 

house  and  shut  up  their  churches.  But  this  was  only  the  fore- 
runner of  a  most  tremendous  act  of  the  diet  of  Warsaw  in  1658. 
by  which  all  Socinians  were  forever  banished  from  the  country 
and  capital  punishmfnts  were  denounced  against  all  who  should 
adopt  their  sentiments  or  harbor  their  persons. 

The  fate  of  the  exiles  was  very  severe.  They  were  dispersed 
with  the  loss  of  every  thinor  dear  to  them  through  various  coun- 
tries of  Europe  but  could  no  where  gain  protection  so  as  to  form 
an  united  settlement  and  estabhsh  their  worship.  Through  the 
exertions  of  Stanislaus,  a  Polish  knight,  they,  for  a  time,  enjoy- 
ed the  patronage  ot  Frederic  III.,  king  of  Denmark,  but  they 
were  soon  deprived  of  that  through  the  opposition  of  the  cler- 
gy. Numbers  fled  to  England,  but  dispersed  themselves  among 
the  reigning  sects  as  they  could  do  it  and  retain  their  principles. 
These  however  generally  adopted  the  Arian  and  Semi-arian  sys- 
tem. One  independent  congregation  only  existed  in  London 
during  the  protectorship  of  Cromwell,  which  received  the  doc- 
trines of  Socinus. 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  the  unitarian  controversy 
was  revived  in  England  by  Mr.  Whiston,  professor  of  mathema- 
tics in  the  university  of  Cambridge,  who  supported  the  Arian 
system  to  the  loss  of  his  chair.  He  was  followed  by  Dr.  Samuel 
Clarke,  who  however  rather  maintained  a  difference  of  rank 
than  nature  between  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost.  He  was 
opposed  in  his  pecuhar  views  by  Dr.  Waterland.  About  1720 
Arianism  began  to  spread  in  the  presbyterian  and  general 
baptist  churches,  which  it  ultimately  almost  wholly  engross- 
ed. But  it  is  now  supplanted  by  Socinianism,  principally 
through  the  labours  of  Dr.  Lardner  Dr.  Priestly,  Mr.  Lin-iley, 
Gilbert  Wakefield  and  Mr.  Belsham.  All  the  unitarian  church- 
es do  not  amount  to  100,  and  these  are  small.  A  seminary  has 
for  some  time  existed  at  Hackney  for  the  education  of  unitarian 
ministers.  In  Germany  and  Switzerland  unitarianism  has  of 
late  prevailed  very  extensively.  Semler  and  his  disciples  have 
surpassed  all  others  in  their  low  views  of  revelation,  and  the 
character  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  rejecting  inspiration  and  mi- 
racles, and  treating  the  whole  history  of  Jesus  as  little  better 
than  pagan  mythology.  In  1794  Dr.  Priestly  meeting  with 
much  opposition  and  persecution  in  England,  removed  to  America. 
By  his  conversation  and  writings  he  gained  some  adherents  ; 
and  a  few  congregations  were  formed  in  the  middle  States. 
This  eminent  man  died  in  1804. 

But  a  more  signal  triumph  unitarianism  has  gained  within  the 
last  twenty  years,  in  the  eastern  part  of  New-England.     Many 


364  ANABAPTISTS*  PeRIOD    Ilf. 

of  the  wealthiest  congregations  with  their  ministers,  have  renoun- 
ced  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  and  the  other  doctrines  of  the 
reformation.  Some  are  Arians,  others  are  simple  Humanita- 
rians. The  Calvinistic  doctrines  are  viewed  by  them  as  scho- 
lastic chimeras.  An  able  controversy  has  been  sustained  be- 
tween Dr.  Worcester,  Professor  Stuart  and  Woods  on  the  one 
side  and  Dr.  Channing  and  Professor  Ware  on  the  other. 

Most  of  the  students  from  the  Theological  institution  connec- 
ted with  Harvard  university,  are  unitarians. 

Those  here  mentioned  have  been  their  principal  writers.  It 
may  here  be  added  that  a  considerable  body  of  people  calling 
themselves  Christians  have  recently  risen  up  in  America  who 
glory  in  being  unitarians.  But  they  have  no  connexion  with 
the  congregational  unitarians  of  Massachusetts,  considering 
themselves  as  more  evangelical.  They  are  generally  illiterate 
and  fanatical.     They  number  about  20,000. 

ANABAPTISTS. 

The  leading  principle  which  had  actuated  the  anabaptists  in 
Germany,  took  deep  root  in  the  breasts  of  multitudes  throughout 
the  North  and  West  of  F.urope.  '1  hi?  was,  "  That  the  kingdom 
of  Christ,  or  the  visible  church  he  had  established  upon  the 
earth,  was  an  assembly  of  true  and  real  saints,  and  ought  there- 
fore to  be  inaccessible  to  the  wicked  and  unrighteous,  and  also 
exempt  from  all  those  institutions  which  human  prudence  sug- 
gests, to  oppose  the  progress  of  iniquity  or  to  correct  and  reform 
transgressors."  !t  had  led  the  anabaptists  to  the  exclusion  of 
magistrates,  the  abolition  <  f  war,  the  piohil)ition  of  oaths,  rejec- 
tion of  infant  baptism,  conteinpt  of  all  human  science,  to  false 
miracles,  visions  prophecies,  and  other  extravagancies  until  it 
had  brought  upon  them  the  civil  arm  and  caused  their  suppres- 
sion. 

But  in  the  year  1535,  Menno  Simon  a  man  of  extraordinary 
activity  and  perseverance,  who  had  been  a  popish  priest,  united 
himself  to  their  miserable  remnant  and,  for  twenty-five  years, 
continually  travelled  through  East  and  West  Friesland,  liolland, 
Guelderland  Brabant,  and  Westphalia,  j)reaching  to  them  and 
laboring  to  form  them  into  one  regular  conununity.  His  labors 
were  successful.  They  united  around  him,  viewed  him  as  their 
common  father   and  after  him  were  called  Me>nonites. 

Menno  retained  all  the  leading  principles  of  the  German  ana- 
baptists, but  he  drew  up  a  Ibrm  ot  discipline  which  suppressed 
fanaticism,  and  gave  his  community  an  appearance  not  dissimilar 
^o  that  of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  churches.     That  their 


Chap.  22.  anabaptists.  365 

form  of  doctrine  might  be  entirely  scriptural,  it  was  drawn  in 
scripture  language  ;  but  so  much  did  the  Mennonists  trust  to  the 
extraordinary  directions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  they  cared  but 
little  about  any  formula,  or  instructing  their  people  in  any  of  the 
great  truths  of  religion.  They  early  fell  into  violent  dissension 
on  points  of  discipline,  and  suddenly  their  church  was  divided 
into  two  great  parties,  the  austere  and  the  lenient.  The  former 
were  disposed  to  excommunicate  all  open  transgressors,  even 
such  as  varied  from  established  rules  in  their  dress,  without  warn- 
ing, from  the  church  and  from  all  intercourse  with  their  wives, 
husbands,  brothers,  sisters  and  relations,  and  avoid  them  as  they 
would  the  plague.  The  latter  were  for  treating  offenders  with 
lenity  and  moderation.  The  rigid  party  were  subdivided  on  other 
points,  but  they  soon  dwindled  to  a  small  number.  These  were 
called  Flandrians,  while  the  moderate  were  called  Waterlandri- 
ans,  from  the  places  where  they  resided.  Both  parties,  however, 
uniting  in  the  principle,  that  sanctity  of  manners  is  the  test  of  the 
true  ciiurch,  went  far  beyond  other  denominations  in  austerities, 
and  would  admit  none  to  their  communion  but  such  as  exhibited 
the  greatest  gravity  and  simplicity  in  their  looks,  gestures  and 
clothing,  and  practised  the  greatest  abstemiousness  in  their  lives. 
Learning  and  philosophy  too,  they  both  considered  as  the  pest 
of  the  charch.  The  most  ignorant  man  was  viewed  as  proper 
for  a  religious  teacher  as  any  other  if  he  had  the  teachings  of  the 
Spirit.  On  this  point  however,  the  Waterlandrians  were  less 
bigotted  than  the  others,  and  established  a  public  seminary  at 
Amsterdam. 

The  Mennonites  first  gained  a  legal  toleration  in  the  United 
Provinces  in  1572.  They  did  not,  however,  enjoy  undisturbed 
tranquilhty  until  1626,  when,  by  the  publication  of  a  confession  of 
faith,  they  cleared  themselves  from  public  opprobrium.  In  1630, 
a  general  conference  of  all  the  Mennonites  in  Germany,  Flan- 
ders and  Friesland  was  held  at  Amsterdam,  when  they  entered 
into  bonds  of  fraternal  union,  each  retaining  their  own  peculiaii- 
ties.  In  1649  the  conference  was  renewed,  and  many  of  the 
severities  of  Menno  were  mitigated.  A  few  of  them  came  to 
England  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VHI.  but  they  suffered  much  per- 
secution from  the  government,  and  were  banished  by  Queen 
Elizabeth  to  Holland. 

In  1608,  the  sentiments  of  the  Mennonites  began  again  to 
spread  in  England.  A  few  imbibing  them,  stparated  from  the 
independents,  and  estabhshed  a  communion  of  their  own,  and, 
renouncing  their  former  baptism,  sent  over  one  of  their  number 

3r^ 


366  BAPTISTS.  Period  III. 

to  Holland,  to  be  immersed  by  the  Dutch  anabaptists,  that  he 
might  be  qualified  to  administer  the  ordinance  in  England.  From 
this  they  soon  spread  and  became  numerous. 

They  rejected  the  name  of  anabaptists  because  they  would  not 
allow  that  any  baptized  by  them  had  been  baptized  before  and 
assumed  the  name  of  Baptists  ;  declared  themselves  the  only  true 
church  of  Christ  and  claimed  a  direct  descent  from  Christ  and 
his  apostles,  through  the  Waldenses.  Like  the  Mennonites,  they 
viewed  believing  adults  as  the  only  proper  subjects  of  baptism ; 
and  immersion  as  the  only  proper  mode.  None  therefore,  but 
those  who  had  been  immersed  upon  a  profession  of  savmg  faith, 
would  they  allow  to  belong  to  the  church  of  Christ,  and  to  be: 
proper  subjects  of  communion.  All  the  rest  of  the  Christian 
world  they  considered  as  aliens,  without.  They  early  fell  into 
contention  upon  points  of  doctrine,  and  split  in  1611  into  two 
great  parties,  called  the  particular  and  the  general  baptists.  The 
particular  baptists  are  Calvinists  and  the  general  Arminians. 
The  former  have  ever  been  by  far  the  most  numerous.  Some 
of  both  parties  have  recenly  admitted  those  who  have  been  bap- 
tized in  infancy,  to  the  Lord's  supper.  Some  also,  of  both  par- 
ties, observe  the  seventh  day  as  the  sabbath,  from  an  apprehen- 
sion that  Christ  never  abrogated  the  Jewish  sabbath.  These  are 
called  Seventh-day  baptists. 

During  the  reign  of  the  high  commission  court  and  star 
chamber,  many  of  the  baptists  suffered  severely.  Cromwell 
extended  protection  and  patronage  to  them,  and  they  increased 
considerably  during  the  protectorate.  But  they  met,  at  that 
period,  with  much  perplexily  and  trouble,  from  the  quakers, 
who  violently  opposed  all  water  baptism.  By  the  act  of  uni- 
formity in  1662,  they  suffered  svith  other  nonconformists,  and 
were  ejected  from  their  pulpits ;  and  subsequently  were  sub- 
jected to  vexations,  imprisonments,  loss  of  goods  and  of  life. 
Among  those  who  suffered  severely,  of  this  denomination,  wav 
'.he  celebrated 

JOHN    BUNYAN. 

He  was  the  son  of  a  tinker,  born  1628.  In  early  life,  he  was 
infamous  for  the  most  daring  impiet}'.  Thrice  was  he  snatched 
from  the  jaws  of  death;  but  the  divine  mercies  he  only  abused 
to  sin.  Fortunately,  he  married  the  daughter  of  a  pious  man, 
whose  only  portion  was  two  books,  "  The  Practice  of  Piety,'' 
and  "The  Plain  Man's  Pathway  to  Heaven."  These  books 
brought  conversion  to  his  heart ;  and  submitting  himself  to 
Hod,  he  entered  into  the  communion  of  the  baptist  church,  at 


Chap.  22.  john  bunyan.  367 

Bedford,  in  his  27th  year,  and  soon  became  an  active  and  pow- 
erful preacher  of  the  Gospel.  He  established  himself  at  Bed- 
ford, and  was  active  in  fornjing  numerous  churches  around  him. 
At  the  restoration,  he  was  seized  and  thrown  into  prison,  where 
he  lay  twelve  years  But  there  he  was  not  idle  He  main- 
tained himselt  and  tjamily.  by  making  long  tagged  thread  laces  ; 
and  there  wrote  that  most  wonderful  book,  "  The  Pilgrim's 
Progress."  After  he  regained  his  libert),  he  travelled  through 
England,  to  comfort  and  establish  his  brethren.  A  meeting 
hoiise  was  built  for  him  at  Bedford.  But  he  often  preached  in 
London,  when  he  attracted  vast  crowds.  He  died  Aug.  31, 
1688,  aged  sixty  years  He  was  a  man  of  deep  humility  and 
gentleness.  His  industry  is  to  be  seen  in  his  two  folio  volumes. 
His  Pilgrim's  Progress  has  been  translated  into  various  lan- 
guages, and  has  been  printed  more  times  than  any  book  ex- 
cepting the  Bible.  Until  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
the  baptists  never  admitted  psalmody  into  their  worship,  con- 
sidering it  a  human  ordinance.  It  was  then  introduced  by 
some,  and  a  violent  controversy  ensued. 

At  the  revolution  in  1688,  the  baptists,  with  the  other  dissen- 
ters, gained  a  legal  toleration  ;  and  in  the  next  year,  delegates 
from  upwards  of  an  hundred  churches,  met  in  London,  to  inquire 
into  the  state  of  the  churches,  and  adopt  measures  for  their 
prosperity.  By  this  assembly,  was  published  the  Confession  of 
Faith,  known  as  the  Century  Confession.  It  continued  its  an- 
nual sessions  a  few  years.  At  this  period  there  were  in  En- 
gland and  Wales,  about  300  churches,  though  many  of  them 
were  small  and  without  pastors. 

Their  increase  in  the  last  century,  was  small.  Of  the  par- 
ticular baptists,  there  were  in  17G8,  217  churches,  in  1790, 
3l!r ,  in  1798,  361.  In  Wales,  there  were  about  80  churches. 
In  Ireland,  but  8  or  10.  In  Scotland,  but  a  few,  and  these 
have  been  Sandemanians,  who  have  had  no  fellowship  with  the 
English  baptists.  The  general  baptists  have  about  an  hundred 
churches  in  Great  Britain.  They  are  generally  arminian  and 
unitarian. 

In  1793,  the  particular  baptists  formed  a  missionary  society, 
and  sent  Messrs.  Thomas,  Carey  and  Marsliman,  to  India,  who, 
under  God,  have  done  wonders. 

The  assembly  of  1689,  laid  the  foundation  of  a  baptist 
academy,  at  Bristol,  for  the  education  of  ministers.  This  ha? 
been  very  flourishing.  Another  was  founded  near  London,  in 
1810. 

From  their  opposition  to  human  fcience  and  hiimnn  aid,  in 


36S  AMERICAN  BAPTISTS.  PeRIOD   III. 

building  up  the  cause  of  Christ,  the  English  baptists  have  had 
but  few  learned  men,  and  have  produced  but  few  valuable 
works.  Gill  *  the  Rylands.t  Stennets,|  Pearce,§  Fuller, II  and 
Ward,^  particular  baptists,  have  been  ornaments  to  the  Chris- 
tian church,  Robert  Hall,  is  now  their  glory.  The  ministers 
among  the  general  baptists,  have  usually  been  men  of  more 
learning,  than  among  the  particulars,  though  no  individuals 
have  excelled  them 

The  Baptists  came  to  New-England  soon  after  its  settlement. 
The  famous  Roger  Williams,  who  left  his  congregational  church 
in  Salem  and  contended  with  the  government  and  churches  in 
Massachusetts  on  points  of  discipline,  established  himself  at 
Providence  with  no  particular  church  order,  in  1639.  in  a  little 
time  he  and  his  people  renounced  infant  baptism  and  were  bap- 
tized according  to  the  views  of  the  baptists.  This  church  was 
the  first  baptist  church  in  America.  A  baptist  church  was 
gathered  in  Charlestown  Mass.  1665  in  New-Jersey  in  1688, 
in  South  Carohna  in  1690,  in  Groton  Ct.  1705.  In  the 
first  century  17  churches  were  gathered.  Nine  of  them  were 
in  New- England.  In  the  next  40  years  twenty  more  were  es- 
tablished. After  the  great  revival  in  1741  arose  many  separate 
churches  all  over  New-England.  Many  of  these  became  baptist, 
so  that  in  1790  they  numbered  above  800  churches.  But  a  de- 
stroying blast  came  over  them  through  the  influence  of  Elkanan 
Winchester,  who  preached  among  them  the  doctrine  of  universal 
restoration.  With  the  increase  of  the  country  this  denomination 
also  has  rapidly  increased,  and  have  now  in  the  United  States 
about  3000  congregations  and  2000  ministers  They  are  chief- 
ly in  the  western  and  southern  states.  In  the  early  period  of 
theii'  history  the  baptists  in  New-England  and  Virginia  were 
much  molested  on  account  of  their  peculiarities.  From  Massa- 
chusetts they  were  at  one  time  banished. 

*  Dr.  Gill  was  pastor,  first  of  the  baptist  church  in  Kittering,  and  afterwards 
in  London.  He  was  a  great  scholar,  and  an  high  calvinist.  He  wrote  an  ex- 
position of  the  Bible,  in  9  vols,  folio,  and  a  body  of  divinity,  in  3  vols.  4to. 
He  died  Oct    13,  1771. 

Father  and  son.    Both  ministers  at  Northampton.    The  latter  became  head 
oi  the  baptists'  academy  at  Bristol. 

'  Father  and  son.  Both  ministers  at  Exeter,  of  excellent  character,  and  dis- 
tinguished abilities. 

^  Minister  of  Birmineham,  a  man  of  ardent  piety,  and  warm  missionary  spi- 
rit.    Died  Oct.  1799,  ag'ed  33. 

II  Minister  at  Kittering.  One  of  the  most  able  and  excellent  men  of  any 
v'ommunion. 

y  Late  Missionary  to  India.  He  inspected  the  printing  press  .it  Serampore. 
His  labours  were  immense. 


Chap.  22.  free-willers.  369 

The  baptists  in  the  United  States  are  generally  particular  and 
calvinistic.  As  a  body  they  are  serious  and  very  regular. 
Many  of  their  churches  have  enjoyed  precious  revivals.  Their 
mi'iisters  have  failei  in  intelligence,  but  some,  particularly  Mr. 
Gano,*  Dr.  Manning,t  Dr.  Stillnian,|  Dr.  Furman§  and  Dr. 
Baldwin  !  have  been  highly  respectable.  They  have  a  college 
at  Providence  Rhode  Island  ;  a  literary  and  theological  institution 
at  Waterville,  Maine — another  at  Washington  City,  a  theological 
school  near  Boston  and  one  m  the  state  of  New-York.  They 
have  in  the  United  States  145  associations.  They  Uberally 
support  foreign  missions. 

After  the  French  war  a  number  of  famiHes  removed  from 
New-England  and  settled  in  Nova  Scotia  and  New-Brunswick. 
Some  were  baptists  who  laid  the  foundation  of  churches  there. 
But  they  have  never  prevailed  much  there  until  within  a  few 
years.  In  Ipper  and  Lower  Canada  there  are  but  few  of  this 
order.     In  the  West  Indies  they  have  some  churches. 

THE    ARMINIAN    BAPTISTS 

Are  in  America  few  in  number.  They  are  called  free  wil- 
lers.  They  date  their  rise  in  1780,  through  the  activity  of  El- 
der Randall  of  New  Durham.  They  are  numerous  in  New- 
England  and  Canada.  As  a  body  they  are  loose,  violent  against 
divine  decrees,  the  divine  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  family  pray- 
er ;  have  few  settled  ministers  and  but  little  solemnity  in  pub- 
lic worship.     They  attach  chief  importance  to  being  plunged. 

A  body  of  men  styling  themselves  Christians,  a  species  of  low 
unitarians,  coalesce  with  them.  These  estimate  their  number 
at  20  000. 

*  Mr.  Gano  was  pastor  of  the  Gold  strpet  church,  New- York  25  years.  At 
the  close  of  life  he  removed  to  K.ntucky,  where  he  died  in  1804,  aged  77,  leav- 
ing behind  him  a  very  high  reputation  as  a  laborious,  faithful  minister  of  Christ. 
Dr.  Manning  was,  during  his  life,  considered  as  the  most  learned  man 
among  the  American  baptists.  He  received  his  education  at  Nassau  Hall,  New- 
Jersey  ;  prtached  in  several  places  with  reputation,  and  then  settled  at  Warren, 
Rhode  Island,  where  he  opened  a  latin  school.  In  1765  he  obtamed  a  charter 
of  incorporation  for  Rhode  island  coll  ge,  of  which  he  was  chosen  President. 
When  that  institution  was  plac<d  at  Providence  h<-  removed  there  and  perform- 
ed the  duties  of  the  presidency  and  preached  to  the  baptist  church  for  'i5y<  ars. 
He  was  sent  by  Rhode  Island  to  the  old  Congress.  He  died  greatly  lamented 
Juh  29     1791,   aged  53. 

':  Dr.  Stillman  was  born  in  Philadelphia  1737.  After  preaching  in  various 
places,  he  was  settled  in  Boston  in  1765  where  he  continued  greatly  beloved 
and  respected  until  his  death,  March  13,  1807,  in  the  70th  year  of  his  age.  Ho 
was  a  truly  elocjuent  preacher  and  good  man      His  publications  were  many. 

^  Minister  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 

'!  Minister  in  Boston. 


370  BAPTISTS.       QUAKERS.  PeRIOD  III. 

SEVENTH  DAY  BAPTISTS 

Have  been  known  in  England  about  200  years,  but  havt 
never  been  numerous.  They  first  appeared  in  Newport,  Rhode 
Island,  and  formed  a  church  in  1671.  This  church  has  con- 
tinued to  the  present  time.  A  more  flourishing  one  exists  at 
Hopkinton.  Several  are  in  the  connexion,  and  some  have  been 
planted  in  the  state  of  New- York.  They  conceive  that  it  was 
an  antichristian  power  that  changed  the  sabbath  from  the  seventh 
day  to  the  first. 

Other  small  sects  of  baptists  exist  in  America  as  the  Roger- 
ene  baptists  in  Connecticut  the  Keithian  baptists,  a  sect  of 
quakers  Tunker  baptists  or  Dippers  and  Mennonites,  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  at  the  West. 

QUAKERS,  OR    FRIENDS. 

In  that  great  revolution  of  religious  opinion  in  England  which 
first  gave  every  one,  excepting  the  old  standing  order,  free  tole- 
ration, and  advaiiced  a  Cromwell  to  the  throne,  it  might  be  ex- 
pected, from  the  natural  tendency  of  the  human  mind  to  extremes, 
that  some  would  go  in  their  speculations  and  demands  as  far  be- 
yond all  that  sound  reason  and  scripture  would  approve,  as  would 
balance  the  restraints  under  which  they  had  before  been  held. 
Among  those  who  thus  went  beyond  all  reformers  was  George 
Fox,  who  was  born  at  Drayton,  1624,  and  educated  a  shoema- 
ker and  grazier.  Discontented  with  these  employments,  he  led 
a  wandering  life,  frequented  much  the  company  of  religious  and 
devout  persons,  and  m  1647  became  a  preacher.  He  found  no- 
thing in  the  religion  of  the  times  which  pleased  him.  Christians 
were,  in  his  view,  woildly  and  licentious.  The  modes  of  woi'ship 
were  established  by  law.  The  clergy  were  ordained  over  par- 
ticular parishes,  and  paid  for  preaching.  These  things,  as  well 
as  the  drunkenness,  injustice  and  profanity  of  the  age,  were  the 
subjects  of  his  severe  animadversion.  Against  the  commonly 
received  doctrine,  that  the  scripture  is  able  to  make  us  wise  unto 
salvation,  and  that  ministers  should  be  qualified  for  their  office 
by  suitable  degrees  of  beaming  he  asserted  that  the  light  of 
Christ,  let  in  upon  the  heart,  was  the  only  means  of  salvation, 
and  a  sufficient  qualification  for  the  ministry.  At  Nottingham. 
"  he  went  away,"  says  his  biographer,  '  to  the  steeple  house, 
where  the  priest  took  for  his  text,  "  We  have  a  more  sure  word 
of  pro|>hecy,  whereunto  ye  do  well  that' ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a 
light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn,  and  the 
day  star  arise  in  your  hearts."  And  he  told  the  people  this  was 
the  scripture  by  which  they  were  to  try  all  doctrines  opinions, 
and  rehgions.     George  Fox  hearing  this,  felt  such  mighty  power 


Chap.  22.  Quakers,  or  friends.  371 

and  godly  zeal  working  in  him,  that  he  was  made  to  cry  out,  O 
no  :  It  is  not  the  scripture,  but  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  by  which  the 
holy  men  of  God  gave  forth  the  scriptures,  whereby  opinions, 
religions  and  judgments  are  to  be  tried.  That  it  was  which  led 
into  all  truth  and  gave  the  knowledge  thereof.  He  thus  speak- 
ing- the  officers  came  and  took  him  away,  and  put  him  into  a 
filthy  prison,"  After  his  release,  he  travelled  through  England, 
Ireland,  Scotland,  Holland,  Germany,  the  American  colonies  and 
the  West  Indies,  calling  upon  men  to  disregard  the  ordinary 
forms  of  religion,  and  attend  to  that  divine  hght  which  is  in  all 
men.  Eight  several  times  more  he  was  imprisoned  as  a  disturber 
of  the  peace  and  of  public  worship. 

Fox  had  many  adherents  who  were  called  quakers,  as  some 
say,  because  he  once  told  one  of  his  judges  to  tremble  at  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  or  as  others  affirm,  from  certain  distortions  in 
their  worship.  In  these  Fox  assisted  by  Robert  Barclay,  George 
Keith  and  Samuel  Fisher  formed  a  regular  system  of  doctrine 
and  discipline.  He  died  in  London  in  1690.  And  though  Wil- 
ham  Penn  said  of  him,  "  He  was  a  man  that  God  endowed  with 
a  clear  and  wonderful  depth,  a  discerner  of  others  spirits,  and 
very  much  a  master  of  his  own,  of  an  innocent  life,  meek,  con- 
tented, modest,  steady,  tender  "  yet  it  is  evident  from  his  history, 
that  he  had  no  small  portion  of  fanaticism,  and  that  he  broached 
sentiments  which  must  have  appeared  to  men  at  that  period  as 
utterly  subversive  of  civil  and  religious  order  and  decorum. 

These  sentiments  many  of  his  followers  fully  acted  out,  crea- 
ting great  disturbances,  and  were  severely  chastised  by  the  ma- 
gistracy. Of  these  disturbances  however,  they  acquit  themselves 
as  the  guilty  cause,  since  they  only  pursued  the  course  pointed  out 
by  the  light  that  was  in  them,  and  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  established  forms  of  presbyterianism  or  episcopacy,  and  re- 
fused to  take  oaths  to  the  magistracy,  or  pay  tithes,  or  engage  in 
war.  The  tumults  were  occasioned  by  those  who  would  not  let 
them  pursue  their  own  course.  But  the  pious  community  viewed 
this  course  as  destructive  of  all  true  religion,  and  the  magistracy, 
as  subversive  of  civil  government ;  and  they  were  imprisoned  and 
fined  and  whipped,  sometimes  for  their  tenets,  but  more  fre- 
quently for  their  obstinacy.  Cromwell  was  disposed  to  suppress 
them ;  but  the  more  he  learned  of  their  character,  the  more  dis- 
posed he  was  to  let  them  alone,  but  he  did  not  put  a  stop  to  the 
persecutions. 

King  Charles  H.  and  James,  oppressed  them  and  made  severe 
laws  against  their  meetings  for  worship,  chiefly  because  they 
would  not  take  the  oath  of  allegiance.     Had  the  value  of  their 


372  QUAKERS  OR  FRIENDS.  PeRIOD  III.  * 

affirmation  been  understood,  as  it  now  is,  they  might  have  been 
spared  much  tedious  imprisonment,  and  found  as  faithful,  peace- 
able subjects  as  those  who  took  the  oath. 

In  1656,  a  few  female  Quakers  came  to  New-England,  and 
practised  conduct  which  they  said  was  required  of  them  by  the 
Divine  will,  and  pointed  out  by  the  light  in  them,  but  which  the 
civil  magistrates  viewed  as  inconsistent  with  civil  and  religious 
order;  and  they  were  punished  with  siripes  and  banishment. 
In  1630,  four  were  put  to  death.  But  they  interceded  with 
Charles  11.  and  obtained  a  mandamus  to  stop  these  severities. 
In  1672,  Charles  released  four  hundred  from  prison,  who 
had  refused  to  conform  to  the  church  of  England,  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  ;  and  pay  tithes,  but  at  the  king's  decease, 
fifteen  hundred  were  still  confined  for  what  was  considered  out- 
rageous conduct.  Their  imprisonments  were  long  and  severe, 
and  many  of  them  died  without  regaining  their  li!  erty.  They 
enjoyed  no  peace  in  Great  Britain  until  the  Revolution.  Their 
affirmation  is  now  there  taken  in  civil  courts,  except  in  criminal 
cases. 

In  1680,  William  Penn  received  from  Charles  II.  a  grant  of 
that  fertile  territory,  which  now  forms  the  state  of  Pennsylvania, 
as  a  reward  for  the  eminent  services  of  his  father,  who  was  a 
vice  admiral  in  the  British  navy.  Penn  was  a  shrewd,  intelli- 
gent, active  man,  and  improved  his  grant  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage. He  carried  with  him  a  large  number  ot  Friends  from 
England,  and  founded  a  city  of  remarkable  regularity  and  beauty  ; 
which,  for  the  harmony  that  prevailed  among  them,  he  called 
Philadelphia  ;  and  a  state  which  has  risen  to  the  first  rank  in 
the  Union.  There  they  have  increased  astonishingly,  and  be- 
come a  large  and  respectable  community.  The  first  law  in 
Massachusetts,  exempting  the  Quakers  from  taxation  for  the 
support  of  the  congregational  ministry,  was  passed  in  1734. 
During  the  revolutionary  war  they  were  involved  in  great  dis- 
tresses because  they  refused  to  join  the  army.  Many  whole 
and  large  estates  went  to  pay  the  fines  imposed  upon  them. 

In  America  they  have  between  five  and  six  hundred  congre- 
gations. In  England  their  numbers  are  estimated  at  about  forty 
thousand. 

The  Quakers  have  ever  maintained  many  doctrines  in  com- 
mon with  the  reformed  churches,  but  they  view  every  man.  Chris- 
tians, Turks,  Jews,  and  Pagans,  as  furnished  with  a  measure  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  or  as  they  call  it,  of  the  light  of  Christ,  which 
is  a  rule  of  duty  superior  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  which  re- 
quires only  to  be  brought  into  exercise  in  silence  and  medita- 


Chap.  23.  shakers.  373 

tion.  They  reject  a  regular  Gospel  ministry,  viewing  every 
person,  male  and  female,  as  a  suitable  religious  teacher  who  is 
influenced  by  the  Spirit,  to  speak  in  a  public  meeting.  They 
reject  also  the  Sabbath,  singing,  outward  ordinances,  baptism, 
and  the  Lord's  supper,  giving  them  a  spiritual  interpretation. 
They  have  no  family  worship  and  no  religious  service  at  meals. 
They  consider  all  outward  forms  as  hindrances  to  true  spiritual 
worship,  and  think  their  most  precious  meetings  to  be  those  in 
which  they  have  perfect  silence  and  communion  with  God. 
They  practise  great  abstemiousness  in  living,  renounce  all 
amusements,  all  forms  of  politeness,  and  respect  of  persons, 
lest  these  things  should  cloud  the  divine  light.  They  abhor 
the  common  name  of  the  months  and  days  of  the  week  as  relics 
of  paganism,  and  substitute  the  ordinal  numbers.*  Their  sys- 
tem necessarily  excludes  the  vicarious  atonement  of  Christ  and 
terminates  in  deism.  They  refuse  to  take  an  oath,  to  engage 
in  war,  to  give  titles,  to  pay  outward  homage,  and  are  uniform 
and  plain  in  their  dress. t  A  drunken  quaker  is  seldom  seen. 
Their  government  is  sustained  in  monthly,  quarterly  and  yearly 
meetings,  and  is  a  kind  of  presbyterianism. 

Of  late  there  has  been  an  extensive  and  serious  division 
among  them  on  points  of  doctrine  ;  one  party  has  struggled  for 
a  considerable  degree  of  orthodoxy  and  spirituality,  while  the 
other  has  been  upholding  the  lowest  kind  of  Socinianism. 

The  Shakers  are  a  sect  formed  in  England  by  one  James 
Wadley ;  but  its  prime  leader  was  Ann  Lee.  This  woman 
claimed  the  gift  of  languages,  of  healing,  of  discovering  the  se- 
crets of  the  heart,  being  actuated  by  the  invisible  power  of 
God,  sinless  perfection,  and  immediate  communication  with 
heaven.  In  1774,  she  emigrated  with  her  follovvers  to  Ameri- 
ca. They  have  a  large  establishment  at  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y, 
and  fifteen  or  twenty  others  in  various  States.  Their  number 
exceeds  four  thousand.  They  view  Ann  as  the  elect  lady,  who 
travails  for  the  whole  world,  by  and  through  whom  alone  any 
blessing  can  descend  upon  any  person.  They  derive  their  name 
from  a  heavy  dancing  and  a  shuddering  in  their  worship.  They 
reject  matrimony — are  celebrated  for  their  neatness  and  worldly 
thrift;  but  consider  the  scripture  as  obsolete,  and  really  have 
30  little  among  them  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  as  to  render  it 
questionable  whether  they  should  find  a  place  in  the  history  of 
the  Church. 

*  In  this  they  were  not  at  first  peculiar.  The  independents  and  baptists  did 
(he  same. 

t  They  adopted  what  was  the  plain  dress  in  1650,  and  this  they  hare  never 
altered, 

32 


374  MORAVIANS.  PeIIIOD  Ili 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Moravians.  History  and  discipline.  Methodists.  Early  labors 
of  Wesley  and  Whitefield.  Their  separation.  Wesleyan  metko- 
dists.  Their  order,  discipline,  and  increase  in  Europe  and  Amer 
ica.  Whitefieldian  methodists.  Lady  Huntingdon.  Unive/' 
salists. 

The  Moravians  and  Bohemians  were  first  converted  to  the 
Christian  faith  in  the  ninth  century,  and  united  in  communion 
with  the  Greek  church.  In  process  of  time,  they  submitted  to 
the  Romans.  But  animated  by  the  labors  and  example  of  John 
Huss  and  Jerome,  they,  in  the  fifteenth  century,  renounced  the 
papal  dominion.  In  the  time  of  the  reformation  they  were  called 
the  united  brethren,  and  formed  friendly  correspondence  with 
Luther  and  the  principal  reformers.  But  in  a  civil  war  in  1 620. 
Ihey  were  exceedingly  distressed,  and  scattered  throughout  Eu 
rope. 

In  1 722,  a  small  remnant  of  them  were  conducted  by  Christian 
David,  a  brother,  from  Fulnech  in  Moravia,  to  Upper  Lusatia, 
where  they  put  themselves  under  the  protection  of  Nicholas 
Lewis,  Count  of  Zinzendorf,  and  built  a  village  which  they  called 
Hutberg  and  Hernhut,  or  Watch-hill.  The  Count  showed  them 
much  kindness,  and  being  a  zealous  Lutheran,  endeavoured  to 
gather  them  into  the  Lutheran  church.  But  he  failed  and  be- 
came himself  a  convert  to  their  faith  and  discipline.  In  1 735,  he 
was  consecrated  one  of  their  bishops,  and  became  their  spiritual 
father  and  great  benefactor.  He  died  at  Hernhuth  in  1660,  aged 
60.  He  is  viewed  by  the  Moravians  as  one  of  the  greatest  and 
best  of  men,  though  he  is  represented  by  many  as  fanatical  in  his 
preaching. 

Hernhut  the  Moravians  have  held  as  the  centre  of  their  vasi; 
operations  in  the  heathen  world.  A  few  have  fixed  their  residence 
in  London  and  Amsterdam.  They  profess  to  adhere  to  the  Augs- 
burg confession  of  faith,  which  was  drawn  up  by  Luther  and  Me- 
lanchton  in  1 530.  But  they  have  some  peculiar  views,  and  a  very 
peculiar  government.  They  know  but  little  of  the  points  whicl) 
divide  Calvinists  and  Arminians,  and  speak  almost  constantly  of 
the  Redeemer.  They  have  several  congregations,  which  meet 
by  deputies  once  in  seven  years  in  a  general  synod,  for  the  super- 


Chap.  23.  mobaVUNS.  375 

^  intendence  of  the  congregations  and  missions.  All  questions  qC 
importance  are  determined  by  lot,  i.  e.  as  they  suppose,  by  the 
Lord.  A  subordinate  body  is  appointed  at  the  close  of  the  ses- 
sion, on  whom  devolves  the  chief  management  of  the  insti- 
tution. This  is  called  The  elders'  conference  of  the  Unity,  ami 
consists  of  thirteen  elders,  who  are  divided  into  four  depart- 
ments. 1st.  The  mission  department,  which  superintends  the 
missionary  concerns.  2d.  The  helpers'  department,  which 
watches  over  the  principles  and  morals  of  the  congregation. 
3d.  The  servants'  department,  which  superintends  the  do- 
mestic concerns.  4th.  The  overseers'  department  which  looks 
to  the  maintenance  of  the  constitution  and  discipline  of  the 
brethren.  The  power  of  this  eldei*s'  conference  is  very  exten- 
sive. Every  servant  in  the  unity  is  appointed  or  removed  by  it  at 
its  pleasure.  Bishops  and  ministers  are  alike  subject  with  the 
people. 

Each  congregation  also  has  a  conference  of  elders  for  its  own 
government,  which  is  divided  into  five  departments.     They  have 

I  economies  or  choir  houses,  where  they  live  together  in  commu- 
nity ;  the  single  men  and  single  women  apart,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  elderly  persons.  They  take  peculiar  care  in  the 
education  of  their  children.     They  marry  only  in  their  own  com- 

i  munion.      In  the  plainness  of  their  dress  they  strongly  resemble 

*  the  qaakers  and  methodists.     They  have  ever  been  exceedingly 

*  devoted  to  foreign  missions,  and  have  set  a  most  noble  example  to 
all  other  denominations  of  Christians. 

The  Moravians  have  bishops,  minister^,  deacons  and  deacon- 
esses ;  but  their  bishops  are  superior  to  the  ministers  only  in  the 
power  of  ordination,  and  can  ordain  none  but  such  as  are  desig- 
nated by  the  elders'  conference. 

METHODISTS. 

The  revolution  in  England  in   1688,  had  given  such  perfect 
toleration  to  the  various  protestant  churches,  that  care  for  self- 
preservation  was   supplanted  by  a  worldly  spirit,  and  infidelity 
entered  and  overflowed,  and  threatened  to  sweep  Christianity 
from  the  kingdom.     At  this  momentous  period,  when  not  merely 
vital  piety  was  the  subject  of  ridicule,  but   the  learned  divines 
of  the  nation  found  it  difficult  to  defend  the  outworks  of  Christ- 
j  ianity,  the  methodists  arose,  producing  a  prodigious  religious 
I  excitement  among  the  common  people  throughout  England  and 
!   America. 

This  §ect  may  be  traced  to  Mr.  John  Wjpsley.     This  extragi:" 


3f6  METHODISTS.  PeRIOD   IIL 

dinary  maa  was  born  1703.  He  received  his  education  at  Ox- 
ford University,  and  in  1725,  while  a  tutor  there,  was  ordained 
to  the  ministry  in  the  established  church.  Being  deeply  im- 
pressed with  tlie  subject  of  religion,  he  conversed  with  a  friend 
on  the  means  of  improvement,  who  told  him  that  "  he  must 
find  companions  or  make  them  ; — that  the  Bible  knew  nothing 
of  a  solitary  religion."  This  led  him  to  associate  with  him  in 
1729,  his  brother  Charles,  Mr  Morgan  and  Mr.  Kirkham.and  a 
few  years  after,  Messrs.  Ingham,  Hervey,  Broughton  and  George 
WhitefieM,  then  in  his  18th  year — all  students  in  College.  Their 
meetings  for  religious  improvement  were  so  regularly  attended 
by  them,  and  so  methodical  did  they  become  in  all  things,  as  to 
be  called  by  the  licentious  students,  methodists  and  the  godly 
club.  This  society  continued  about  five  years,  and  rendered 
itself  very  popular  with  many  by  their  religious  and  charitable 
efforts,  while  by  others  it  was  calumniated  and  abused.  But 
none  of  the  members  seem  to  have  known  much  of  the  religion 
of  the  gospel.  Whitefield  pursued  the  course  of  a  pharisee,  and 
by  ascetic  austerities  nearly  brought  himself  to  the  grave,  while 
Wesley  directing  his  attention  to  the  inner  man,  but  not  knowing 
there  was  an  Holy  Ghost,  labored  at  his  great  work,  "  the  reco- 
very," as  he  expressed  it,  "of  that  single  intention  and  pure 
affection,  which  was  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  popularity  of  these  young  methodists,  induced  some  of 
the  trustees  of  the  new  colony  of  Georgia  to  invite  the  Wesleys 
to  go  thither,  and  preach  to  the  Indians.  With  this  request 
they  complied,  and  sailed  1735,  in  company  with  some  Mo- 
ravian missionaries  from  Germany,  whose  humble  faith  and 
holy  joy,  even  in  the  storm,  showed  John  that  notwith- 
standing his  ardent  pursuit  of  inward  holiness  he  was  yet  a 
stranger  to  vital  piety.  Charles  returned  the  next  year  to  Eng- 
land John  remained  three  years,  but  without  effecting  much 
good. 

Whitefield  early  turned  from  his  austerities  to  the  gospel 
scheme  of  justification  by  faith,  and  by  studying  closely  Paul's 
Epistles,  and  Henry's  commentary,  entered  fully  into  the  views 
of  Calvin.  In  1736,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  commenced 
preaching  the  gospel,  with  a  popularity  unknown  before  by  any 
man  in  England.  To  a  rich  curacy  he  was  invited  in  LondoD  ; 
but  on  Mr.  Wesley's  return,  he  chose  to  take  his  place,  and  em- 
barked for  Georgia  in  1738.  On  his  voyage  he  became  instru- 
mental of  a  thorough  reformation  in  the  ship's  crew.  At  Geor- 
gia he  established  an  orphan   house  :  which  led  him  to  travel 


Chap.  ^3.  wesley  and  whitefield.  377 

through  New  England  to  procure  assistance  for  it,  where  also 
he  preached  with  wonderful  power  and  success.  For  the  same 
purpose  he  recrossed  the  ocean,  and  was  received  with  the  most 
enthusiastic  applauses  by  thousands  of  hearers.  From  many  of 
the  pulpits  of  the  establishment  he  was  shut,  as  an  enthusiast, 
and  to  this  circumstance  may  be  traced  the  formation  of  a  new 
sect.  For  he  now  found  it  necessary  to  set  up  for  himself  to 
effect  any  good.  "  1  thought,"  said  he,  ^^  it  might  be  doing  the 
service  of  my  Creator,  who  had  a  mountain  for  his  pulpit,  and 
the  heavens  for  his  sounding  board  ;  and  who,  when  his  gospel 
was  refused  by  the  Jews,  sent  his  servants  into  the  highways  and 
hedges."     He   accordingly  went   among  the  poor  colliers  near 

I  Bristol,  and  preached  on  a  mount  in  the  open  air,  often  to  twenty 
thousand  people,  and  with  the  greatest  success.  "  His  first  dis- 
covery of  their  being  affected  was,"  he  observed,  "  in  the  white 
gutters  made    by  their  tears,  which  plentifully  ran  down  their 

i  black  cheeks  as  they  came  out  of  the  coal  pits.  Several  hun- 
dreds of  them  were  soon  brought  under  deep  convictions,  which 
as  the  event  proved,  ended  in  a  sound  and  thorough  con'V^ersion. 
The  change  was  visible  to  all,  though  numbers  chose  to  impute 
it  to  any  thing  rather  than  to  the  finger  of  God.  As  the  scene 
was  quite  new,  and  I  had  just  begun  to  be  an  extemporary 
preacher,  it  often  occasioned  many  inward  conflicts.  Some- 
times, when  twenty  thousand  people  were  before  me,  I  had 
not,  in  my  apprehension,  a  word  to  say.  But  I  was  never 
totally  deserted,  and  frequently  (for  to  deny  it  would  be  lying 
against  God)  so  assisted,  that  I  knew  by  happy  experience, 
what  our  Lord  meant  by  saying,  '  he  that  believeth  in  me,  out 
of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  waters.'  The  open  firma- 
ment above  me,  the  prospect  of  the  adjacent  fields,  with  the 
sight  of  thousands  on  thousands,  some  in  coaches,  some  on 
horseback  and  some  in  trees,  and  at  times  all  affected  and 
drenched  in  tears  together,  to  which  was  sometimes  added  the 
solemnity  of  the  approaching  evening,  was  almost  too  much 
for  me,  and  quite  overcame  me." 

'  From  Bristol,  he  went  into  Wales,  where  he  again  preached 
to  admiring  thousands  ;  and  from  thence,  to  London,  where,  in 
Moorfields,  and  on  Kensington  common,  he  addressed  the  most 
astonishing  assemblages  of  people,  on  the  subject  of  salva- 
tion.    After   this,  he  revisited  America,  and  left  the  field  to 

ii  Wesley. 

That  extraordinary  man,  on  his  return  to  England,  learned 
said,  Twhat  he  least  of  all  suspected)  that  he  who  went  to 
3^* 


37&  :»1ETH0DISTS.  Period  IIL 

America  to  convert  others,  was  never  himself  converted  to 
God.  On  his  voyage  out,  he  had  formed  a  favourable  opiuion 
of  the  piety  of  the  Moravians,  and  meeting  with  a  band  of 
ihem  soon  after  his  return,  in  London,  he  conversed  much  with 
them,  adopted  their  peculiar  views  of  true  faith,  as  a  belief 
(hat  our  sins  are  pardoned,  accompanied  with  constant  do- 
minion over  sin  ;  and,  in  one  of  their  assemblies,  gained,  as  he 
thought,  an  assurance  of  the  forgiveness  of  all  his  sins,  and 
everlasting  peace.  Desirous  of  visiting  the  place  where  this 
favourite  people  lived,  he  went  into  Germany,  to  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Moravians.  He  returned  to  London  in  1738,  and 
began  to  preach  with  great  zeal  and  success.  The  multitudes 
who  gathered  around  him,  were  not  equal  to  those  which  fol- 
lowed VVhitefield ;  but  the  impressions  and  outcries,  exceeded 
any  thing  which  had  been  witnessed,  for  they  were  much  en- 
couraged by  him. 

Mr  Whitefield  returned  again  to  England,  in  1741,  after  a 
still  more  popular  and  successful  tour  through  North  America, 
than  before.  But  alas  !  with  Wesley,  he  was  no  longer  to  co- 
operate. These  two  men  were  found  to  be  possessed  of  very 
different  systems  of  theology.  Whitefield  had  preached  and 
printed  in  favour  of  election,  and  Wesley,  in  favour  of  uni- 
versal redemption  and  sinless  perfection.  Their  different  views 
were  communicated  to  their  hearers,  and  two  great  parties 
were  at  once  formed.  Whitefield  preached  once  for  Wesley, 
and  no  more.  "  You  and  I,"  said  he,  "  preach  a  different  Gos- 
pel." Both  continued  to  labour  with  astonishing  success,  and 
became  the  heads  of  large  and  powerful  sects. 


WESLEYAN    OR    ARMINIAN    METHODISTS. 

BIr.  Wesley,  at  once  found  himself  at  the  head  of  an  im 
mense  body  of  people,  all  in  the  church  of  England,  as  he  him- 
self was,  yet  looking  to  him  as  their  spiritual  guide.  Leave 
them  to  the  ministers  of  the  establishment  he  could  not,  for 
they  excluded  him  from  their  pulpits,  and  reviled  him  as  an 
enthusiast.  Expect  preachers  from  the  learned  universities 
he  could  not,  for  they  would  neither  supply  present  exigences, 
nor  meet  his  views,  nor  be  ever  sufKcient  in  number.  Wliite- 
field  had  set  him  the  example  of  raising  up  lay  preachers. 
And  he  now  thought  it  his  duty,  to  put  any  man  into  the  minis- 
try who  desired  the  oflice,  provided  he  gave  evidence  of  piety,. 


Chap.  23.  weslevans.  SW 

had  a  good  understanding  and  clear  utterance,  and  was  suc- 
cessful in  converting  souls.  Numerous  men,  possessing  these 
qualifications,  he  sent  from  the  most  ordinary  employments  of 
society,  into  various  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  such  was  the 
credit  of  his  name,  and  to  such  a  degree  did  they  adopt  his 
dispassionate  manner,  and  "  infantile  simplicity,"  that  wherever 
they  came,  they  were  received,  supported  and  listened  to,  with 
the  greatest  deference. 

Their  fundamental  principle  was,  "  That  all  men  have  a  cer- 
tain light,  or  grace,  or  influence,  which  they  may,  by  their  own 
powers  and  inclinations,  improve,  and  that  this  individual  hu- 
man improvement,  makes  the  difference  between  one  man  and 
another,  the  saved  and  the  damned."  They  of  cours:e,  denied 
election,  and  considering  it  optionable  with  a  man  whether  to 
become  good,  so  they  considered  it  optionable  with  him, 
whether  to  relinquish  his  religion  and  fall  from  grace,  or  go  on 
to  perfection.  Both  they  considered  possible.  The  bursting 
of  the  latent  spark  into  a  flame,  they  considered  the  new  birth, 
and  this  was  accompanied  with  sudden  outcries,  agitations  ot" 
the  body,  and  falling  down  as  dead.  Their  views  of  faith,  were 
like  those  of  the  Moravians.  They  considered  it  as  being  sim- 
ply a  belief,  concerning  something  in  themselves,  chiefly,  that 
their  sins  were  pardoned  ;  and  believing  this,  they  attained  to 
justification. 

As  the  mass  of  preachers  and  converts  grew,  it  became  uu- 
wieldly,  and  Mr.  Wesley  called  all  his  preachers  to  an  annual 
conference.     This  conference  first  met  in  1744. 

In  this  conference  a  general  view  was  taken  of  doctrine, 
discipline  and  moral  conduct.  The  whole  kingdom  was  di- 
vided into  circuits.  Fifteen  or  twenty  societies  which  lay 
around  some  principal  towns  formed  a  circuit.  In  each  circuit 
was  stationed  two,  three,  or  four  preachers,  according  to  its  ex- 
tent and  importance,  who  were  to  labour  in  it  for  one  year. 
The  eldest  was  called  the  assistant  or  superintendent,  who  di- 
rected the  labours  of  his  associates.  Each,  having  his  place 
assigned  him,  was  to  begin  a  progressive  motion  round  the  cir- 
cuit ;  perpetually  travelHng  and  preaching,  as  the  superintendent 
directed.  Each,  therefore,  had  his  daily  work  before  him,  and 
knew  where  his  brethren  were  labouring.  They  were  to  have 
no  regard  to  any  other  sect  or  people,  but  to  preach  in  their 
place  to  all  who  would  hear  them,  and  gather  into  their  society 
all  who  would  join  tlieiii. 


IS0  METHODISTS.        -  PeRIOD  Ml. 

The  days  of  bloody  persecution  for  religious  dissent  had  passetl 
away.  The  puritans  had  fought  the  battle-  and  gained  a  general 
toleration  of  all  religions.  The  methodists  therefore  grew  up 
without  opposition  from  government.  Indeed  when  their  meet- 
ings were  threatened,  as  they  often  were  by  the  mob,  the  gov- 
ernment usually  protected  them. 

From  England  they  soon  passed  to  Ireland,  America,  the  In 
dies,  Africa  and  the  continent  of  Europe,  maintaining  every 
where,  as  far  as  possible,  the  same  system. 

Mr.  Wesley  lived  to  see  the  88th  year  of  his  age  and  65th 
of  his  ministry.  He  died  March  2,  1791.  He  maintained  to 
the  day  of  his  death  a  perfect  ascendancy  over  the  vast  body 
that  had  adhered  to  him.  He  was  remarkably  neat  in  his  per- 
son, exact  in  his  habits,  simple  in  his  style  of  speaking  and 
writing  ; — a  man  of  great  ardor  ;  confident ;  bold,  and  of  unparal- 
leled  diligence.  He  is  supposed  to  have  travelled  near  300,000 
miles  and  to  have  preached  more  than  40,000  sermons.  He 
presided  at  47  annual  conferences. 

After  his  death  his  followers  were  much  divided  on  points  of 
government.  Wesley  had  ever  closely  adhered  to  the  church 
of  England.  He  did  not  permit  his  travelling  preachers  to 
preach  in  church  hours,  or  administer  baptism  or  the  Lord's 
supper ;  but  directed  all  his  people  to  attend  the  church  wor- 
ship, and  receive  the  ordinances  from  the  hands  of  the  regular 
clergy.  At  his  decease,  many  united  in  publishing  a  declaration 
that  they  would  adhere  to  his  system,  but  others  revolted  and 
icstablished  a  new  connexion  in  which  they  have  preaching  iii 
church  hours  and  the  ordinances  administered  by  their  own 
preachers,  and  in  which  also,  the  people  have  a  voice  in  the 
temporal  concerns  of  the  societies  and  the  election  of  churcli 
officers. 

The  methodists  under  the  care  of  the  British  and  Irish  con 
ferences,  which  includes  all  excepting  those  in  the  United 
States,  are  about  300,000.  Their  travelling  preachers,  about 
1100. 

A  seminary  was  estabhshed  by  Mr.  Wesley  at  Kingswood? 
for  tlie  education  of  the  children  of  preachers. 

A  few  methodists  came  to  New- York  from  Ireland  in  1766, 
and  through  the  labours  of  a  Mr.  Embury  so  increased  that  the} 
erected  a  meeting  house  in  John  street  in  1768.  The  next  year 
two  preachers  were  sent  over  by  Mr.  Wesley  from  England. 
And  in  1771  came  over  Francis  Asbury  and  Richard  Wright. 
Thomas  Rankin  was  also  sent  over  by  Wesley  to  take  the  gene- 


Chap-.  23.  Wesley ais^s*  38  ( 

ral  superintendence  of  the  American  churches.  Through  the 
exertions  of  these  and  other  zealous  labourers,  the  number  oj[ 
■the  methodists  was  soon  greatly  increased,  and  in  1773  a  regu- 
lar conference  was  held  in  Philadelphia. 

Until  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war,  the  system  of  metho-^ 
dism  was  according  to  the  plan  of  Wesley.  The  preachers  were 
not  empowered  to  administer  ordinances,  and  the  people  were 
obhged  to  go  to  other  churches.  As  the  United  States  had 
now  become  independent  of  Great  Britain  Wesley  determined 
•to  make  the  American  churches  independent,  and  sent  Dr. 
Thomas  Coke,  commissioned  as  a  superintendent  or  bishop  to 
constitute  the  American  churches  independent  ;  to  raise  Mr, 
Asbury  to  the  same  office,  and  to  ordain  preachers  and  elders. 
He  arrived  in  1784  and  on  the  25th  of  Dec.  consecrated  Mr. 
Asbury  to  the  office  of  bishop.  The  number  of  members  in 
America  then  was  14,988  and  of  preachers  83.  Universal 
satisfaction  was  expressed  at  the  procedure  ;  and  the  general 
cause  was  revived  and  strengthened.  Bishop  Asbury  imitated 
Wesley  in  his  diligence  and  labour,  and  a  vast  increase  of  num- 
Ijers  was  soon  gained  to  the  methodist  cause.  The  annual  con- 
ference was  attended  with  difficulty  in  a  cotintry  of  so  great  ex- 
tent ;  and  in  1808  it  was  agreed  that  there  should  be  several 
annual  conferences  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  one 
general  conference  of  delegates  from  these  subordinate  ones. 
This  conference  then  was  composed  of  120  members  from  sevcB 
conferences.  The  number  of  these  is  now  seventeen,  which  are 
divided  into  numerous  districts,  which  are  subdivided  into  cir- 
cuits.    Over  every  district  is  a  presiding  elder. 

The  whole  number  of  members  in  the  United  States  is  about 
300,000,  and  of  their  travelling  preachers  1,300. 

The  Wesleyan  methodists  in  America  have  maintained  nearly 
{he  same  religious  sentiments  as  those  in  England.  They  have 
class  meetings,  band  meetmgs,  and  love  feasts.  They  are  fond 
of  quarterly  meetings  for  communion,  and  of  camp-meetings. 
Their  women  wear  a  bonnet  to  distinguish  them,  resembling  the 
quakers.  Their  religious  excitements  during  revivals  are  very 
great.  Their  book  of  discipline  is  severe.  Their  govern- 
ment is  not  far  from  presbyterian. 

Their  ministry  is  supported  by  the  voluntary  contributions  oi' 
the  people.  In  the  United  States  they  have  a  charter  fund 
which  produces  about  1200  dollars  annually,  and  a  profitable 
book  concern.  Each  travelling  preacher  is  allowed  100  dollars. 
If  married,  his  wife  has  lOQ,  each  child  under  seven,  16  doUars^ 


^3&2  WHITE^IELDIAN  METHODISTS.        PeRIOD  111, 

' — between  seven  and  fourteen,  twenty-four  dollars  ;  and  he  i= 
generally  supported  with  his  horse  free  of  expense.  When  su- 
perannuated or  laid  aside  from  infirmity,  he  has  a  regular  and 
good  stipend.  No  denomination,  therefore,  do  better  by  their 
ministers. 

They  are  at  present  warmly  engaged  in  controversy  aboui 
episcopal  government.  Many  have  renounced  it  entirely  as  un- 
scriptural. 

The  want  of  intelligence  among  their  ministry  is  greatly  la- 
mented by  some,  but  it  is  unavoidable  on  their  present  scheme, 
Dr.  Adam  Clarke  is  their  chief  luminary.  His  commentary  on 
the  Bible  forms  with  them  a  standard  of  doctrine. 

WHITEFIBLDlAN  OR  CALVINISTIC  METHODISTS, 

After  his  separation  from  Mr*  Wesley,  Mr.  Whitefield  con- 
tinned  to  go  through  England,  Scotland  and  America,  like  a 
flame  of  fire,  every  where  melting  thousands  by  his  eloquence, 
and  causing  them  to  yield  in  submission  to  God.  Fourteen 
times  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  finally  died  in  the  midst  of 
his  labours  at  Newbury  port,  Mass.  September,  30,  1770,  aged 
-fifty-five. 

"  He  lov'd  the  world  that  hated  him ;  the  tear 

That  dropped  upon  his  Bible,  was  sincere  ; 

Assailed  by  scandal  and  the  tongue  of  strife. 

His  only  answer  was  a  blameless  life  ; 
'     And  he  that  forged  and  he  that  threw  the  darl;. 

Had  each  a  brother's  interest  in  his  heart." 

Cowpey, 

More  from  the  higher  classes  of  the  community  followed 
Whitefield  than  Wesley.  The  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  a  lad} 
of  great  rank  and  wealth,  becoming  pious  selected  him  as  her 
chaplain  ;  opened  her  house  in  the  park  where  he  preached  to 
the  nobility  on  sabbath  evenings ;  built  chapels  in  various  parts 
of  England,  and  filled  them  with  his  preachers,  and  erected  in 
Wales  a  college  for  the  education  of  pious  young  men  for  the 
ministry.  Her  chapels  sufi'ered  but  little  at  her  death.  Great 
efforts  were  made  by  her  friends  to  sustain  them.  In  most  of 
these  the  church  ritual  has  been  adopted.  Her  seminary  at 
Wales  has  been  superseded  by  a  larger  and  better  at  Cheshunt^ 
iti  Hertfordshire. 

Mi.  Whitefield  never  marshalled  his  followers  into  a  distinct 


Chap.  23.  usiVbbsalists.  383 

sect  as  did  Mr.  Wesley.  He  ever  remained  in  commanion  with 
the  church  of  England,  though  he  commonly  engaged  in  ex- 
temporaneous prayer.  His  Calvinism  was  high,  and  as  his 
preachers  were  illiterate  men,  they  ran  into  the  extremes  of 
antinomianism,  and  gave  offence  to  the  independents  and  pres- 
byterians  who  followed  the  old  puritans.  After  the  death  of 
Whitefield,  the  Calvinistic  methodists  formed  an  union,  but  have 
never  been  reduced  to  much  order.  Some  of  their  congrega- 
tions, especially  the  Tabernacle  and  Tottenham  court  chapel, 
have  been  the  largest  in  England.  In  some  of  them  the  liturgy 
I  has  been  used;  in  others,  not.  They  are  chiefly  under  the 
guidance  of  their  ministers  and  a  board  of  managers.  In 
England  there  are  about  sixty  places  of  worship,  and  in 
Wales  three  hundred.  The  preachers  in  Wales  are  chiefly 
itinerant. 

TjNIVERSALISTS. 

The  doctrine  that  all  mankind  will,  through  the  merits  of 
Christ,  finally  be  admitted  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  has  had 
but  very  few  advocates  in  the  Christian  world,  considering  its 
adaptedness  to  gratify  the  human  heart.  Origen,  in  the  third 
century,  seems  to  have  entertained  some  views  of  this  nature, 
])ut  he  thought  that  ''  the  sentiment  ought  to  he  kept  secret  among 
mch  as  may  be  fit  to  receive  it,  and  not  publicly  exposed."  None 
of  the  reformers,  unless  it  be  the  Socinians,  adopted  it.  The 
first  open  advocate  of  any  importance  in  modern  times,  of  Uni- 
versalism,  was  Dr.  Chauncey,  of  Boston.  He  considered  that 
Christ  died  for  all  men,  and  that  it  was  the  purpose  of  God  that 
all  should  finally  be  saved,  and  that  in  this  state  or  another,  all 
would  be  reduced  by  God  to  a  willing  subjection  to  his  moral 
government.  These  sentiments  he  advanced  only  in  an  anony- 
mous volume  published  in  London  in  1784.  His  work  met 
with  a  very  able  answer  from  Dr.  Jonathan  Edwards  of  New 
Haven. 

In  England,  similar  sentiments  were  advanced  by  Mr.  James 
Kelly,  one  of  the  preachers  of  Mr.  Whitefield.  He  believed  in 
strict  imputation  and  extended  it  to  all  mankind — supposing  that 
through  the  death  of  Christ,  all  were  perfectly  restored  to  the 
divine  favor.  He  rejected  water  baptism  and  the  sacrament. 
Numbers  adhered  to  him.  One  of  his  followers,  Mr  Murray, 
emigrated  to  America,  and  established  some  congregations. 
These  are  still  maintained  by  some  active  preachers,  and  seve- 
ral churches  have  of  late  been  added  to  them. 


384  10NIVERSALISTS,  PeRIOD  HI. 

The  (loetrine  of  universal  salvation,  or  restoration,  was  also 
defended  in  England  by  Mr.  Winchester  and  Mr.  Vidler.  They 
were  met  powerfully  by  Rev.  Andrew  Fuller. 

Dr.  Joseph  Huntington,  of  Coventry,  Con.  left  a  manuscript 
feehind  him,  entitled  "  Calvinism  improved,"  advocating  the 
Salvation  of  all,  which  was  published.  But  it  called  forth  a  very 
able  answer  from  Dr.  Nathan  Strong,  of  Hartford,  in  which  he 
shows  that  the  doctrine  of  eternal  misery  is  fully  reconcilable 
with  the  benevolence  of  God. 

The  universalists  have  several  churches  scattered  throughout 
the  United  States. 


Chap.  24.  FROTEs;rANT  siibsions*  38o 


CHAPTER  XXIV, 

Protestant  Missions.  Neglected  hy  the  Reformers.  First  at- 
tended to  hy  the  Puritans  in  N.  America.  Eliot.  Mayhews. 
Brainard.  Danish  3Iissions.  Swartz.  HansEgcde.  Mora- 
vian  Missions.  Wesleyan  Methodist  Missions.  Baptist^ 
Ltondon,  Edinburgh,  Church  Missionary  Society.  Buchan- 
an.   Martyn.  American   Board.      Bible,   Tract  and  Edu' 

'I    cation  Societies.     Concluding  remarks. 

We  have  traced  the  Christian  Church  down  through  eight- 
een hundred  years,  and  seen  her  engrossing  the  attention  of 
but  a  small  part  of  the  human  race.  In  the  mean  time,  far  the 
greater  part  of  mankind  have  been  totally  ignorant  of  her  exis- 
tence ;  while  myriads,  who  have  known  her,  have  united  in 
treating  her  \7ith  contumely  and  scorn.  The  last  command  of 
Christ  was  felt  in  all  its  proper  authority  by  the  Apostles  and 
first  Christians,  and  the  gospel  received,  under  their  efforts, 
an  amazing  extension.  The  ten  heathen  persecutions,  in  some 
measure  broke  the  spirit  of  the  followers  of  the  Lamb,  and  the 
patronage  of  Constantino  corrupted  their  principles  ;  and  when 
the  world  had  broken  into  the  Church,  she  was  then  engaged 
for  centuries  in  building  up  a  temporal  kingdom,  forgetful  of 
the  spiritual  wants  and  woes  of  the  heathen.  The  eighth  cen- 
tury was  an  "  age  of  missionaries,"  and  twilight  shone  upon 
ijie  north  of  Europe,  through  the  apostolic  labours  of  Boniface, 
Willebrod,  Villehad,  Llefewyn  and  others  ;  but  Mahometan- 
ism  soon  destroyed  the  churches  in  the  East,  and  "  gross  dark- 
ness" covered  those  in  the  West.  When  Luther  broke  the 
power  of  the  Roman  hierarchy,  and  wrested  from  its  dominion 
the  fairest  states  of  Europe,  a  prodigious  effort  was  made  by  the 
prostrate  power  to  regain  what  it  had  lost  at  home  from  among 
the  pagan  nations.  We  have  sufficiently  noticed  its  missionary 
proceedings. 

The  Reformers  were  too  much  engaged  in  the  immense  rev- 
olution which  they  were  effecting  at  home,  to  think  much  of 
those  who  were  bowing  to  idols  in  distant  lands.  Their  geo- 
graphical knowledge  too  was  small  ;  and  their  intercourse  with 
pagans,  almost  as  little  as  with  the  inhabitants  of  another  plan- 
et. As  commerce  opened  to  the  view  of  Europe  the  number- 
plruss  tribes  of  men,  thev  formed  an  acquaintance  wiflj  their 

33 


386  PROTESTANT   MISSIONS.  pERIOD   III. 

Spiritual  wants,  and  when  they  saw,  they  pitied.  The  love  of 
Christ  was  not  a  cold,  inactive  principle  in  their  breasts.  Their 
operations  however  were  slow  and  small.  Centuries  rolled 
away  and  little  was  done.  And  even  now  protestant  nations 
have  reason  to  blush  and  be  ashamed  in  view  of  their  diminu- 
tive operations  in  the  conversion  of  the  world. 

The  16th  century,  presents  us  with  but  two  feeble  efforts  of 
the  protestants  among  the  heathen  ;  one  of  the  Swedes  among 
the  Laplanders,  to  whom  they  gave  the  New  Testament,  the 
other,  of  fourteen  students  from  Geneva  who  went  to  the  Indians 
of  South  America,  but  soon  perished. 

The  17th  century,  when  the  greatest  efforts  might  have  been 
expected,  as  the  protestant  churches  had  become  firmly  estab- 
lished, wealthy  and  numerous  ;  was  almost  equally  barren 
of  incidents,  excepting  with  the  Dutch  and  the  band  of  emi- 
grants to  North  America. 

The  former  carried  with  them  the  gospel  in  their  widely 
extended  commerce  in  the  East.  Had  they  pursued  a  course 
of  thorough  instruction,  the  good  they  had  done  would  have 
been  incalculably  great,  and  India  might  now  have  present- 
ed some  of  the  fairest  churches  of  Christendom.  But  they 
baptized  and  admitted  to  the  profession  of  Christianity  every 
individual  who  could  repeat  the  Lord's  prayer,  the  ten  com- 
mandments, a  morning  and  evening  prayer,  and  say  grace  be- 
fore and  after  meals.  In  1688,  180,364  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Jaffnapatam  had  thus  received  Christianity.  In  the  city  of  Ba- 
tavia,  a  church  was  opened  and  100,000  persons  were  thus 
brought  into  its  connexion.  Numerous  churches  were  also 
collected  in  like  manner  in  Sumatra,  Timor,  Celebes  and  the 
Molucca  islands,  which  the  Dutch  were  careful  to  furnish  v.ith 
the  Bible  in  their  own  language.  But  what  could  be  expected 
of  Christians  thus  formed,  without  a  change  of  heart?-  They 
must  have  been  then,  as  the  remnant  of  them  are  now,  mere 
pagans,  with  a  nominal  profession  of  the  religion  of  Jesus. 

A  more  spiritual  and  evangelical  work  was  attempted  and 
carried  on  in  the  latter  part  of  the  century,  by  the  emigrants 
to  North  America.  About  twenty  nations  of  Indians  came  un- 
der the  influence  of  the  Enghsh  Colonists.  These  Indians 
were  polytheists.  Like  most  pagans  they  beheved  in  two  su- 
perior deities  ;  good  and  evil,  Kitchhan  and  Hobbamok.  Their 
priests  called  powaws,  were  supposed  to  have  much  secret 
communication  with  them.  They  had  no  temples,  excepting 
in  the  country  of  the  Narragansetls,   where  was  one.     They 


CUAP.   24.  ELIOT.      MAYHEWS.      BRAINARD.  337 

were  much  subjected  to  the  delusions  of  witchcraft.  Their 
powaws  pretended  to  perform  wonders,  and  inflicted  upon  them* 
selves  the  most  horrible  severities.  The  Indians  had  some  no- 
tions of  another  life,  and  happiness  or  misery,  according  as  they 
were  good  or  bad.  Their  ignorance  and  wickedness  early  ex> 
cited  the  compassion  of  the  pious  puritans.  The  heart  of  the 
Rev.  John  Eliot,  who  had  emigrated  from  England  in  1631, 
and  settled  at  Roxbury,  was  particularly  affected.  The  wretch- 
edness of  the  heathen  ;  the  design  of  emigration  ;  the  seal  of 
the  colony,  on  which  was  pictured  a  poor  Indian  with  a  label 
in  his  mouth,  "  Come  over  and  help  us  ;"  pressed  him  to  do 
something.  He  saw  in  them  many  Jewish  customs,  and  thought 
they  might  be  descendants  of  the  dispersed  Israelites,  concern- 
ing whom  there  was  a  promise  of  conversion.  The  Indians 
had  no  written  language,  but  Mr.  Eliot  soon  learned  their  bar- 
barous dialect,  and  preached  with  great  success.  The  sa- 
chems and  powaws  became  alarmed,  lest  they  should  lose  all 
their  influence  over  the  people,  and  threatened  to  kill  him  if  he 
did  not  desist.  But  he  did  not  fear  them,  and  always  said  to 
them,  *'  I  am  about  the  work  of  the  great  God,  and  my  God  is 
with  me  ;  so  that  I  neither  fear  you  nor  all  the  sachems  in  the 
country.  I  will  go  on,  and  do  you  touch  me  if  you  dare."  It 
was  his  custom  to  take  care  of  his  own  flock  and  make  a  mis- 
sionary tour  once  a  fortnight,  through  various  parts  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  Plymouth,  preaching  Christ.  His  fatigue  and 
dangers  were  great,  but  he  never  sunk  before  them.  "  I  have 
not,"  he  says  in  a  letter,  *'been  dry  night  or  day,  from  the  third 
day  of  the  week  unto  the  sixth  ;  but  so  travelled  ;  and  at  night 
pull  of  my  boots,  wring  my  stockings,  and  on  with  them  again 
and  so  continue.  But  God  steps  in  and  helps.  I  have  consid- 
ered the  word  of  God,  1  Tim.  II.  3.  ''endure  hardness  as  a 
good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ." 

In  1660,  an  Indian  church  was  formed  at  Natick,  and  num- 
bers were  admitted  to  the  Lord's  table,  who  had  stood  as  cat- 
echumens or  been  propounded  ten  years.  These  abandoned 
polygamy,  drunkenness  and  other  sins.  Other  churches 
were  soon  after  formed  in  other  places.  And  that  they  might 
be  built  up  in  a  most  holy  faith,  Mr.  E.  translated  and  publish- 
ed in  their  language  the  whole  Bible,*    perhaps  the  greatest 


*  The  longest  word  is  in  Mark,  I.  40. 
W  ultappesittukgUBSunnooh  wehtunkquoh . 


388  PROTESTANT  MJSSIDN5,  PERIOD  III 

labour  ever  performed  by  any  man.  The  whole  was  written  with 
one  pen.  He  also  composed  and  translated  a  primer,  gram- 
mar, singing  psalms,  the  practice  of  piety,  and  Baxter's  call  to 
the  unconverted.  He  might  well  remark,  "  prayers  and  pains 
will  do  any  thing." 

This  wonderful  man,  whose  firmness,  zeal,  benevolence  and 
perseverance  were  almost  unparalleled,  lived  to  see  six  res^ 
pectable  churches,  and  24  Indian  preachers  labouring  success- 
fully as  missionaries  of  the  cross.  He  rested  from  his  labours 
May  20,  1690,  aged  86.     He  has  well  been  called  The  Apos- 

TLE  OF  THE  INDIANS. 

The  Mayhews  also  deserve  to  be  had  in  everlasting  remem- 
brance, for  their  long  continued  and  successful  labors  on  Mar- 
tha's Vineyard.  For  a  century  and  a  half  this  family  devoted 
themselves  to  the  conversion  of  the  heathen.  In  1662,  282 
gave  evidence  of  conversion,  and  were  received  into  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Eight  of  them  were  powaws.  At  a  subsequent 
period,  of  180  families,  only  two  remained  heathen.  By  Ex- 
perience Mayhew,  the  Psalms  and  John  were  translated  into 
their  language. 

Others  among  the  first  settlers  of  New  England,  entered  in- 
to the  same  field  of  labours,  with  much  success.  The  charac- 
ter of  their  converts  is  very  interesting  and  dear  to  all  the  lovers 
of  experimental  religion,  and  shews  that  man  in  his  most  sav- 
age state,  can  be  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  may 
taste  the  joys  of  salvation.  The  wars  with  the  colonists  soon 
interrupted  all  efforts  to  evangelize  the  Indians,  and  drove 
them  from  New  England. 

David  Brainard  distinguished  himself  in  the  middle  of  the 
last  century,  by  his  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  American  In- 
dians. At  Crosweeksung,  N.  J.  he  witnessed  a  signal  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit  upon  the  nations  of  the  forest.  Multitudes 
seemed  to  be  convinced  of  sin  and  to  submit  themselves  to  God. 
Thirty  he  saw  seated  at  the  table  of  Christ.  Mr.  Bramard 
early  fell  a  prey  to  a  feeble  constitution  and  severe  hardships. 
He  died  at  Boston,  Oct.  9,  1747,  aged  29.  He  is  considered 
as  one  of  the  most  pious  of  later  missionaries,  and  as  having 
given  the  great  spring  to  modern  missionary  enterprise. 

Laudable  efforts  were  also  made  to  enlighten  and  convert 
the  Stockbridge  Indians,  by  Mr.  Sergeant  and  President  Ed- 
wards ;  and  also  afterwards  to  convey  the  gospel  to  the  Onei- 
das  and  Senecas,  by  Mr.  S.  Kirkland. 

The  first  of  the  modern  European  nations,  that  seriously  en- 


Chap.  24.  swartz.    Moravians.  389 

gaged  in  converting  the  heathen,  were  the  Danes.  Messrs. 
Zeigenbalg  and  Plutsche  were  sent  by  Frederic  IV.  to  the  Mal- 
abar coast  in  fndia,  in  1705.  They  early  translated  the  four 
gospels  into  the  Malabar  tongue,  and  subsequently  the  whole 
Bible.  At  the  end  of  24  years  the  number  of  the  baptized 
amounted  to  8000,  and  10  missionaries  were  in  the  field. 

In  1750,  Swartz  engaged  in  this  mission,  and  remained  in  it 
48  years.  He  was  a  rare  missionary  of  the  cross.  His  influ- 
ence over  the  heathen,  especially  over  those  in  exalted  sta- 
tions, was  probably,  unparalleled.  The  Rajah  of  Tanjore 
made  him  his  counsellor,  and  when  he  died,  committed  to  him 
the  care  of  his  son.  When  Swartz  died,  the  reigning  Rajah 
made  great  lamentation  over  him,  covered  his  body  with  a  gold 
cloth,  and  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory.  More  than 
2000  were  converted  by  him  to  the  iaith  of  Christ.  Other 
valuable  men  have  entered  into  his  labours,  and  not  less  than 
80,000  of  all  casts  have  here  received  Christianity. 

In  1708,  the  attention  of  the  Danes  was  turned  toward  Green- 
land. That  country  was  settled  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth  cen- 
tury. About  the  eleventh,  it  was  enlightened  by  the  gospeI» 
but  for  300  years  it  had  been  entirely  secluded  from  the  con- 
tinent. Hans  Egede,  a  clergyman  of  Norway,  fancying  that  his 
countrymen  were  still  there,  resolved  to  visit  them  ;  and,  un- 
der the  patronage  of  the  King  of  Denmark,  sailed  with  his  fam- 
ily, in  1721,  for  that  inhospitable  region.  The  old  colony  was 
extinct.  The  country  barren  ;  the  inhabitants  barbarous.  A 
set  of  jugglers  called  Angehoks  controlled  their  spirits.  But 
amid  unparalleled  distress  from  polar  winters,  pestilence,  fam- 
ines and  a  barbarous  people,  the  mission  has  continued,  and  by 
the  assistance  of  the  Moravians,  paganism  is  nearly  abolished 
in  the  country. 

The  efforts  of  the  Danes  arrested  the  attention  of  the  Mora- 
vians, and  in  1732,  they  entered  into  the  same  labours.  And 
though  only  about  600  in  number  ;  poor  exiles  ;  without  htera- 
ture,  wealth  or  patronage,  they  have  made  themselves  known 
in  every  clime.  Every  Moravian  is  a  missionary  in  his  feelings 
and  stands  ready  to  go  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  when  directed 
by  the  elders'  conference.  Their  first  station  was  among  the 
blacks  in  the  West  Indies.  Their  next  on  the  icy  shores  of 
Greenland.  They  have  planted  themselves  among  the  Indians 
of  America,  the  Hottentots  of  Africa,  and  the  hordes  of  Tar- 
tary,  and  supported  themselves  by  the  hardest  toil.  They  have 
now  about  30  stations,  and  eo-ploy  170  labourers  including  fe- 

33* 


390  PROTESTANT   MISSIONS.     -  PERIOD  III  J 

males,  and  number    30,000  converts.     They  are  a  wonderful 
people.     The  history  of  their  missions  is  full  of  interest. 

The  Methodists  have  from  the  very  first  considered  them- 
selves as  engaged  in  a  kind  of  mission  throughout  Christendom  ; 
and,  until  of  late,  have  turned  their  attention  but  little  to  hea- 
(hen  lands. 

In  1786,  Dr.  Coke,  a  Wesleyan  Methodist,  engaged  on  his  own 
responsibility,  and  without  patronage,  in  a  mission,  chiefly  among 
the  blacks  in  the  West  Indies.  He  was  followed  in  his  labors,  by 
a  number  of  active  Missionaries,  who  collected  societies,  and 
who  now  number  about  25,000  in  their  connexion.  They  have 
had  to  contend  with  violent  opposition  from  the  slave  holders, 
and  from  the  regularly  established  clergy.  Both  of  those  have 
had  the  government  on  their  side,  and  very  severe  laws  have 
been  passed  from  time  to  time,  against  all,  who,  in  this  man- 
ner, accounted  irregular,  preached  the  gospel,  and  collected 
assemblies  of  the  blacks.  Both  the  preachers  and  their  con- 
verts, have  been  imprisoned  and  severely  chastised,  and  some 
most  disgraceful  and  cruel  scenes  have  been  acted. 

In  1814,  that  enterprising  man  Dr.  Coke,  sailed  from  Eng- 
land with  seven  other  missionaries  for  the  island  of  Ceylon. 
Dr.  Coke  died  on  his  passage.  His  surviving  brethren  estab' 
lished  themselves  at  Colombo,  where  they  have  since  laboured 
with  fidelity  and  success.  Their  number  has  been  since  con* 
siderably  reinforced.     Their  church  members  exceed  300. 

The  Methodists  have  since  planted   stations  at  Australia, 
Sierre  Leone,  South  Africa,  and  Bombay. 
A  Wesleyan  missionary  society  was  formed  at  London,  Dec.  1 . 
HoH,    which    raised  in    1821,    137,444  dollars.     It  supports 
148  missionaries. 

The  Wesley ans  in  N.  America,  have  stations  among  the 
Creeks,  Cherokees,  Choctaws,  Mohawks,  and  "VVyandots. 

The  attention  of  the  Baptists  was  first  directed  to  the  sub- 
ject of  missions  about  the  year  1784.  But  no  system  of  ope- 
ration was  set  in  motion  until  1792,  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Carey 
of  Leicester,  in  England,  who  had  borne  the  wants  of  the  hea- 
tnen  much  on  his  heart,  having  preached  a  sermon  before  his 
association,  in  which  he  exhorted  them  to  Expect  great  things 
and  Attempt  greattkings, a  Society  was  formed,  and  13/,  2s.  6d. 
was  subscribed  to  send  the  gospel  to  the  heathen.  Which  way 
to  direct  their  attention  they  knew  not.  Providentially  their 
^^lews  were  turned  to  India,  by  Mr.  Thomas,  a  surgeon,  who 
had  resided, there,  and  had  his  compassion  excited  for  the  myr*. 


.0HAP.    24.  METHODIST.      BAPTIST.  391 

iads  there  in  pagan  darkness  ;  and  he,  with  Mr.  Carey,  were 
designated,  and  solemnly  set  apart  for  that  field  of  labour. 
They  arrived  in  Calcutta  with  their  families,  Nov.  1793. 

They  took  their  station  amid  hundreds  of  millions,  who  have 
for  centuries  been  subject  to  the  grossest  idolatry,  and  most 
debasing  superstitions.  The  mythology  of  the  Hindoos  has 
tnu^ht  them  the  existence  of  a  Supreme  Being,  but  has  shut 
liim  out  from  all  concern  with  the  world  ;  excepting  as  he  has 
created  three  principal  deities,  called  Brahma,  Vishnou,  and 
Seva,  to  whom  he  has  committed  its  creation,  government  and 
preservation.  These  are  worshipped,  especially  the  second, 
who  is  supposed  to  have  had  nine  incarnations,  all  of  which  are 
represented  by  various  images.  Besides  these,  the  Hindoos  hav6 
inferior  gods  and  goddesses,  amounting  to  330,000,000.  Ev- 
ery family  has  its  household  god,  which  is  placed  at  the  entrance 
of  their  dwelling.  Their  images  are  made  of  brass,  wood  and 
stone,  and  though  said  to  be  mere  images,  are  worshipped  by 
the  mass  of  the  people  as  gods.  They  worship  also  the  heav- 
enly bodies  ;  their  spiritual  guides  ;  the  cow  ;  the  Ganges, 
which  has  on  its  banks  three  millions'  of  sacred  places,  an- 
nually visited  by  millions  of  people.  The  country  is  filled 
with  temples.  The  most  sacred  of  their  religious  establish- 
ments is  the  temple  or  car  of  Juggernaut,  an  horrid  idol, 
^yhich  has  been  visited  annually  by  millions  for  worship,  and  to 
which  vast  multitudes  have  sacrificed  their  lives. 

Their  whole  system  of  worship  is  most  cruel,  debasing  and  pol- 
luting. Horrid  self-tortures  are  daily  practised  and  applauded. 
Innumerable  infants  are  destroyed.  Widows  are  compelled  to 
be  burned  on  the  funeral  piles  of  their  husbands.  No  morality 
is  taught  or  known  among  these  vast  myriads  of  the  human  fam- 
ily. They  are  perfect  fatalists  and  have  no  belief  in  man's  ac- 
countableness.  After  death  the  soul  is  supposed  to  pass  into 
some  other  body,  or  to  a  bird  or  beast. 

i;  Their  division  into  casts  renders  them  almost  impenetrable 
by  the  preachers  of  the  gospel.  These  casts  are  different  de- 
grees or  orders  in  society.  Of  these  there  are  two,  the  Brah- 
mins or  priests,  and  the  Soodra  or  common  people,  but  each  of 
these,  has  many  divisions  and  subdivisions.  Every  man  is 
obliged  to  follow  exactly  the  business  of  his  father.  Each  line 
of  business  is  a  cast.  All  social  intercourse  between  these 
cksls  is  forbidden.  If  a  person  eats  or  marries  with  one  of  au- 
other  cast,  or  interferes  with  his  employment,  he  loses  cast, 
wjiich  is  a  calamity  worse  than  death.     He  is  deprived  of  his 


392  PROTESTANT   MISSIONS.  PERIOD  III, 

property];  forsaken  of  his  friends  ;  treated  every  where  as  a  vile 
outcast,  and  left  to  drag  out  a  most  miserable  existence  in  fam- 
ine and  disgrace.  But  cast  he  must  lose,  who  eats  with  a  mis- 
sionary or  listens  to  the  gospel. 

Throughout  India  the  education  of  all  but  the  Brahmins,  is 
very  limited.  The  myriads  of  females  are  never  taught  by 
them  to  read,  and  are  considered  as  a  grade  below  the  cow. 

Amongst  such  a  people  did  these  two  Baptist  brethren  throw 
themselves,  a  drop  in  the  ocean,  but  a  drop  with  which  the 
ocean  would  not  assimilate,  and,  losing  their  friends,  they  came 
near  perishing  for  want  of  sustenance.  They  hired  themselves 
to  an  indigo  factory  and  there  began  their  labour.  In  1796, 
they  were  joined  by  Mr.  Fountain,  and  in  1799,  by  Messrs. 
Marshman,  Grant  and  Brunsdon,  with  their  wives,  and  Mr. 
Ward  and  Miss  Tidd.  The  whole  fixed  the  seat  of  their  labours 
at  Serampore.  They  threw  all  their  property  and  the  fruits  of 
their  labour  into  a  common  stock.  Some  of  them  have  fallen 
asleep.  But  some  have  lived  to  see  the  Bible  translated  either 
in  whole,  or  in  part,  into  forty-three  different  languages,  each 
spoken  by  millions  of  people,  and  issued  from  their  press  and  cir- 
culated among  the  people,  and  to  behold  numerous  missionary 
stations  established  by  their  European  brethren  in  various  parts 
of  India  ;  above  1000  natives  converted  to  Christianity,  who 
have  renounced  cast  and  been  baptized,  and  several  preach- 
ing with  much  success  to  their  countrymen  the  everlasting 
gospel.  With  every  missionary  station,  is  connected 
large  schools,  in  which  vast  numbers  of  children  are  educated, 
in  the  principles  of  Christianity.  Such  operations,  persevered 
in,  must  and  will  undermine  and  overthrow  even  the  gigantic 
system  of  Hindoo  superstition. 

The  Baptists  in  America  were  first  excited  to  this  all  impor- 
tant subject,  by  two  missionaries  in  India,  of  the  American 
Board,  Judson  and  Rice,  who  left  the  service  in  which  they 
were  engaged,  in  consequence  of  a  change  of  sentiments  on 
the  subject  of  baptism.  The  Baptists  at  Serampore  had  made 
an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  establish  a  mission  at  Burmah.  Mr. 
Judson  directed  his  attention  to  that  country,  and  Mr.  Rice 
returned  to  America  to  seek  patronage.  Through  his  influ- 
ence, an  American  Baptist  Missionary  Board  was  formed  at 
Philadelphia,  in  1814,  by  delegates  from  1 1  states,  and  hand- 
some collections  have  annually  been  made  in  most  of  the  Bap- 
tist churches.  Mr.  Judson,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Price,  a  phy- 
.•jician,  remained  for  sometime  at  Rangoon,  a  solitary  labourer. 


ClLiP.  24.  LONDON  MISS.  SOCIETY.  393 

In  1816,  the  board  sent  Mr.  Hough  and  wife  to  his  aid,  and  sub- 
sequently,  Messrs.  Wade  and  Boardman. 

The  Burmese  are  civiHzed  Hke  the  Hindoos  ;  but  are  deba- 
sed and  bloody  pagans  ;  chiefly  followers  of  Boodhu.  The 
prospects  of  the  missionaries  have  ever  been  discouraging.  Mr. 
Judson  has  translated  the  New  Testament  into  the  language 
of  the  Burmese.  The  Baptist  board  has  also  established  sta- 
tions in  Africa  and  among  the  North  American  Indians,  which 
have  been  much  prospered. 

The  zeal  with  which  the  Baptists  in  England  engaged  in 
missions  in  England,  excited  a  number  of  dissenters  and  mem- 
bers of  the  establishment  to  unite,  Sept.  22,  1795,  in  the  for- 
mation of  the  splendid  London  Missionary  Society. 

Its  attention  was  first  directed  to  the  South  Sea  Islands. 
A  ship  called  the  Duff,  commanded  by  Capt.  Wilson,  was  pre- 
pared, and  30  persons  sailed,  Aug.  10,  1796,  from  London. 
Some  were  left  on  the  Friendly  islands,  in  a  partially  civilized 
community  ;  but  were  soon  through  adverse  providences,  part 
destroyed,  and  part  compelled  to  flee  to  New-Holland.  The 
remainder  landed  at  Otaheite  amid  the  most  deplorable  ruins 
of  the  fall.  There  where  the  eye  witnessed  a  fertile  soil,  sa- 
lubrious climate  and  delightful  scenery,  it  also  beheld  the  most 
awful  moral  desolation,  accompanied  with  no  mental  cultiva- 
tion or  refinement  of  manners,  and  connected  with  a  religion 
which  sanctified  every  crime—  a  taboo  system,  the  most  horrid  ; 
the  offering  of  human  sacrifices  to  the  most  foohsh  and  absurd 
idols  ever  imposed  by  Satan  upon  mankind. 

Fifteen  years  they  toiled  amid  worse  than  Egyptian  dark- 
ness. At  length  fight  began  to  dawn.  In  1813,  Pomare  the 
king,  was  impressed  by  the  gospel,  and  soon  renounced  his  idol 
gods.  His  people  followed  him.  For  twelve  years  the  Sun  of 
righteousness  has  shone  upon  the  islands  ;  and  12,000  adults, 
have  been  taught  to  read  ;  3000  children  are  in  schools  ;  28 
houses  of  worship  have  been  erected,  and  are  filled  sabbath 
after  sabbath  by  worshippers  of  Jehovah  ;  idolatry  and  super- 
stition have  passed  away  ;  peace  has  succeeded  to  the  most 
cruel  and  desolating  wars  ;  a  missionary  spirit  is  excited,  and 
eighteen  natives  have  entered  the  field  of  labour,  through  whose 
instrumentality  two  churches  have  been  formed  on  distant 
islands,  and  5000  taught  to  read.  A  nation  has  been  born  in  a 
day.     It  brings  millenium  nigh. 

The  London  society  have  establishments  also  in  other  parts 
of  the  globe.    In  1798,  Dr.  Vanderkemp,  a  learned  and  skilful 


394  PROTESTANT   MISSIONS.  PeRIOD    III. 


physician,  whose  name  is  precious  in  missionary  annals,  with 
Mr.  Kicherer,  was  sent  to  the  Hottentots,  and  Bushmen  of  Af- 
rica,  through  whose  instrumentality,  together  with  that  of  suc- 
cessive labourers,  some  thousands  have  come  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ.  Fifteen  stations,  ^<J5  missionaries  and  some 
native  preachers  are  now  under  the  care  of  the  society,  in  the 
south  of  Africa.  To  the  East  and  West  Indies  the  society 
have  also  sent  forth  able  heralds  of  salvation,  who  are  active 
in  dispelling  the  thick  darkness  which  veils  the  human  mind  in 
those  regions.  Among  its  labourers,  no  one  deserves  greater 
commendation  than  Mr.  Morrison,  who  has  compiled  a  Chinese 
grammar  and  dictionary  ;  translated  the  scriptures  into  the 
Chinese  language,  and  circulated  above  150,000  pamphlets 
and  tracts.  The  Chinese  are  pagans,  though  not  so  gross  a? 
the  Hindoos.     They  are  worshippers  of  the  god  Foe. 

In  1801,  a  missionary  seminary  was  established  at  Gospoit 
in  England,  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Bogme. 

In  1796,  the  Scotch  came  forward  with  their  usual  zeal  in 
religion,  and  formed  the  Edinburgh  Missionary  society.  They 
first  directed  their  attention  to  the  Sosoo  country  in  Africa. 
But  being  unsuccessful,  they  turned  to  Tartary,  where  they 
have  now  three  stations,  and  the  prospect  of  doing  great  good 
by  circulating  bibles  and  tracts  in  the  Tartar  language,  through 
the  immense  regions  of  Tartary,  Persia  and  China. 

Until  the  commencement  of  the  i  9th  century,  the  immense 
church  establishment  of  England  remained  a  stranger  to  foreign 
missions.  A  society  was  indeed  formed  in  1647,  *'forthe  propa- 
gation of  the  gospel  in  foreign  parts,"  which  received  the  sanc- 
tion of  parhament,  and  the  patronage  of  different  princes,  but  t 
has  done  little  excepting  in  British  provinces.  In  1800,  was 
formed  the  noble  Church  Missionary  Society. 

Its  first  missionaries  were  sent  to  Western  Africa — awfully 
debased  by  the  slave  trade,  where,  after  conflicting  with  many 
most  distressing  evils,  their  stations  are  flourishing.  But  the 
immense  British  dominions  in  Asia,  have  been  the  chief  object 
of  attention.  There,  their  operations  have  been  generously 
supported  and  blessed.  A  recent  effort  to  teach  females  to 
read,  who  have  for  centuries  been  totally  neglected  as  incapa- 
ble of  it,  has  been  very  successful,  and  promises  to  effect  the 
greatest  changes  in  India. 

In  1814,  an  establishment  was  formed  under  the  Rev.  Henry 
?>Iarsdcn,  at  New  Zealand,  among  a  people  barbarous  in  the  ex- 


i 


Chap.  24.  Buchanan,    h.  martyn.  395 

freme,  and  continually  engaged  in  the  most  ferocious  contests. 
This  society  has  45  stations,  296  schools,  440  teachers  and  la- 
bourers, and  14000  scholars.  It  has  a  flourishing  missionary 
seminary  at  Islington. 

Two  Britons,  though  employed  by  no  missionary  society,  will 
be  held  in  lasting  remembrance  for  their  labours  among  the 
heathen.  The  first,  Claudius  Buchanan,  D.  D.  one  of  the 
chaplains  to  the  East  India  company  at  Bengal,  was  for  a  course 
of  years  indefatigable  in  his  labours,  in  ascertaining  the  state  of 
the  moral  and  religious  world  in  the  East,  and  in  arousing  the 
attention  of  his  countrymen  at  home  to  its  spiritual  desolations. 
He  died  in  England,  Feb.  ^,  1815.  The  other,  Henry  Mar- 
tyn,  who  was  excited  to  devote  his  life  to  the  heathen  by  read- 
ing the  life  of  David  Brainard,  gained  the  chaplaincy  to  the 
East  India  company.  He  reached  Dinapore,  Nov.  1806,  and 
having  learned  the  Hindostanee,  he  translated  into  it  the  litur- 
gy and  the  New  Testament.  From  India  he  travelled  into  Per- 
sia ;  boldly  disputed  with  the  Mahometan  doctors  ;  translated 
the  New  Testament  into  the  Persia^,  and  produced  a  prodigious 
:  excitement  in  that  kingdom.  He  was  cutoff  at  Tocat  by  a  fe- 
[  ver  in  the  midst  of  usefulness,  Aug.  16,  1812.  aged  31.  "While 
I  some  shall  delight  to  gaze  upon  the  splendid  sepulchre  of  Xa- 
vier,  and  others  choose  rather  to  ponder  over  the  granite  stone 
which  covers  all  that  is  mortal  of  Swartz,  there  will  not  be  wan- 
ting those,  who  will  think  of  the  humble  and  unfrequented 
grave  of  Henry  Martyn,  and  be  led  to  imitate  those  works  of 
mercy  which  have  followed  him  into  the  world  of  light  and 
I  love." 

[  The  friends  of  missions  in  Germany,  have  of  late  been  di- 
recting their  efforts  toward  the  southern  provinces  of  the  Rus- 
sian empire,  where  German  colonists  are  planted  through  the 
Crimea  and  Georgia — even  to  the  borders  of  Persia.  Their 
object  is  to  revive  religion  among  their  countrymen,  to  awaken 
;  into  life  the  ancient  Greek  Church,  and  ultimately  to  carry 
;  their  conquests  into  the  territories  of  Mahomet. 

The  spirit  of  Missions  which  once  burned  in  the  breasts  of 
Eliot,  the  Maybe ws  and  Brainard,  had  become  nearly  extinct 
in  the  American  churches,  as  they  advanced  in  age  and  increa- 
sed in  riches,  and  for  a  considerable  period  no  sympathy  seems 
I  to  have  been  felt  for  the  nations  sitting  in  the  region  and  sha- 
I  dow  of  death.     In  1787,  a  society  was  formed  in   Boston,  for 
I  propagating  the  gospel  among  the  Indians  and  otliers  in  Nortli 


396  PROTESTANT  MISSIONS,  PfiRlOD   III. 

America  ;'  but  little,  however,  was  ever  effected  by  it.  This 
was  followed  by  the  institution  of  the  New-York  Missionary 
Society,  in  1796. — The  Connecticut,  in  1798. — The  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1799 — and  the  New-Jersey,  in  1801 — all  valuable 
institutions  ;  but  their  efforts  have  been  chiefly  directed  to  the 
rehef  of  the  destitute  in  the  New  Settlements.  The  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  have  also  for  some  years 
had  annual  collections  for  missions. 

Soon  after  the  opening  of  the  present  century,  that  spirit 
again  burst  forth,  and  will  continue,  it  is  hoped,  to  burn  until 
the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  all  become  the  kingdoms  of  our 
Lord  and  of  his  Christ.  That  great  institution.  The  Ameri- 
can Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  was 
formed  in  1810.  A  generous  legacy  of  30,000  dollars  was 
received  from  a  lady  ;  others  threw  their  gifts  into  the  Lord's 
treasury,  and  five  beloved  missionaries,  Judson,  Hall,  Newell, 
Nott  and  Rice,  were  ordained  and  sent  with  their  wives  to 
India.*  Much  perplexity  attended  them  on  their  arrival.  The 
government  ordered  them  to  return.  Mr.  Newell,  in  endea- 
vouring to  plant  himself  in  tifb  Isle  of  France,  was  called  to  see 
his  lovely  wife  close  her  eyes  in  death.  Messrs.  Judson  and 
Rice  unexpectedly  avowed  a  change  on  the  subject  of  baptism, 
and  withdrew  from  the  services  of  the  Board.  After  many  tri- 
als, Newell,  Hall  and  Nott,  commenced  labour  at  Bombay. 

June  21,  1816,  a  new  mission  was  fitted  out  for  the  East. 
Four  missionaries  were  sent  to  Ceylon.  Nor  were  the  board 
unmindful  of  the  wants  of  the  heathen  on  their  own  continent^ 
They  sent  Mr.  Kingsbury  in  1817,  to  the  Cherokee  country, 
by  whom  a  foundation  was  laid  for  extensive  establishments 
both  among  the  Cherokees  and  Choctaws.  In  1820,  a  large 
and  valuable  mission  was  sent  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in  the 
Pacific  ocean.  The  religion  and  morals  there  were  not  dis- 
similar to  those  of  the  Society  Islanders ;  though,  through  a 
wonderful  providence,  just  before  the  arrival  of  the  Missiona- 
ries, they  had  renounced  all  their  idol   gods.     The  i;iext  year, 


*  The  beloved  Samuel  J.  Mills  was  devoted  to  the  same  mission,  but 
was  detained  at  home  by  providence,  and  became  a  great  instrument 
in  exciting  the  American  churches  to  the  formation  of  some  of  the  no- 
blest institutions  of  the  age.  He  died  on  a  passage  from  Africa,  June 
16,  1818,  aged  34,  whither  he  had  been  in  the  service  of  the  Colotfi,za* 
l\6u  SoQJety  which  lay  near  his  heart. 


Chap.  24.  American  boarb.  3§3' 

the  attention  of  the  board  was  directed  to  the  countries  about 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  particularly  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy 
Land,  and  two  missionaries  were  sent  out  to  explore  and  e»' 
tablish  a  mission. 

The  zeal  and  success  of  the  Board  roused  to  action  the 
friends  of  Christ  in  New- York  and  its  vicinity  ;  and  in  1818, 
they  formed  a  society,  denominated  the  United  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society.  Two  large  establishments  were  made  by 
them  among  the  Osage  Indians.  Missionaries  were  also  sent 
by  them  to  the  Indians  in  New-York,  in  the  Michigan  Territory 
and  in  Ohio,  and  to  the  coloured  people  in  Hayti.  But,  in  the 
summer  of  1 826,  an  union  was  formed  between  this  society 
and  the  American  Board  and  these  stations  were  transferred  to 
the  care  of  the  Board. 

Since  its  institution  the  American  Board  has  been  blessed 
with  a  constantly  increasing  patronage  from  the  American 
churches  ;  and  though  it  has  been  called  to  weep  over  the  ear- 
ly extinction  of  many  of  the  bright  lights  which  it  has  planted 
in  regions  of  darkness,  yet  it  has  had  the  happiness  to  find 
others,  burning  with  equal  brightness,  to  place  in  their  stead, 
and  to  behold  all  dispelling,  to  an  amazing  extent,  the  thick 
darkness  of  paganism. 

In  Bombay,  Newell,  Nichols,  Frost  and  Hall,  have  succes- 
sively fallen  before  the  King  of  terrors.  But  through  the 
labours  of  these  men  and  their  companions,  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  some  part  of  the  Old  have  been  faithfully  translated 
and  printed  in  the  vernacular  tongue  of  12  millions  of  people, 
and  100,000  Christian  pubhcations  have  been  put  into  circula- 
tion, and  thousands  of  children  have  been  taught  to  read  and 
know  something  of  the  true  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ.  A  chap- 
el has  been  erected  at  Bombay.  This  mission  *'  has  struck  its 
roots  deep  in  the  native  soil." 

On  Ceylon,  God  has  remarkably  poured  out  his  Spirit  and 
the  mission  church  contains  not  less  than  ninety  native  mem- 
bers who  give  great  evidence  of  sound  piety.  Some  have  be- 
come preachers  of  the  gospel. 

At  the   American  stations    Brainard,   Eliot  and   Mayhew, 
I  (named  after  the  distinguished  friends  of  the  heathens  in  for- 
mer times)  some  of  the  natives  have  exhibited  bright  example* 
of  piety  and  benevolence.     The  children,  in  numerous  schools^ 
have  shewn  much  intelligence  and  industry. 

The  success  of  the  Sandwich  Island  mission  has  bee» 
similar  to  that  of  the  London  mission  to  Otabeite  without  ite 

34 


398  PROTESTANT    MISSION.-?.  PeRI01>  111. 

delay  and  awful  trials.  These  isles  truly  "  waited  for  his  law." 
And  when  it  was  published  they  submissively  received  it.  Near 
20,000  people  have  been  brought  under  the  instruction  of  na- 
tive teachers  who  have  been  taught  by  the  missionaries.  12,000 
are  now  able  to  read  the  word  of  God.  Inirnense  churches 
have  been  erected  which  are  thronged  with  worshippers.  The 
Spirit  has  been  poured  out  upon  various  places  and  above  2000 
have  erected  the  family  altar.  Nine  chiefs  of  great  influence 
have  publicly  professed  the  religion  of  Christ.  Whole  villages 
once  given  to  drunkenness,  theft  and  murder,  have  become 
sober  and  honest.  The  Sabbath  is,  generally,  sacredly  obser- 
ved. A  written  language  has  been  formed  and  a  million  and 
an  half  of  pages  of  tracts  have  been  printed  and  circulated  a- 
mong  the  inhabitants. 

The  Palestine  mission  has  been  deprived  by  death  oi  two 
beloved  missionaries,  Parsons  and  Fisk  ;  but  no  small  degree 
of  evangelical  light  has  shone  upon  that  part  of  benighted  Asia. 
Within  four  years  nearly  three  millions  and  an  half  of  pages  oi 
important  religious  matter  have  been  issued  from  the  press  at 
Malta.  4,000  copies  of  tlie  Bible  have  been  distributed. 
Much  religious  conversation  has  been  held.  A  few  school^ 
have  been  organized  and  no  small  preparation  has  been  made 
for  future  extensive  usefulness. 

An  exploring  tour  has  been  made,  under  the  patronage  of 
the  Board  through  South  America,  which  has  presented  to 
public  view  the  wants  and  miseries  of  that  vast  region,  ilie 
progress  of  civil  liberty,  and  much  reason  to  hope  that  religious 
toleration  will  soon  be  every  where  enjoyed.  , 

In  1816,  the  Board  eiitablished  a  school  at  Cornwall,  Ct. 
for  the  instruction  of  heathen  youth  who  had  found  their  way 
to  the  United  States,  that  they  might  be  christianized  and  sent 
back,  a  rich  blessing  to  their  countrymen.  About  40  have  there 
been  collected  together  speaking  the  various  languages  of  earth, 
and  some  have  learned,  it  is  believed,  the  language  of  heaven. 
There,  lived  and  died  Henry  Obookiah,  a  most  interesting 
Sandwich  Islander.  It  has  answered  the  purposes  for  whicli 
it  was  established,  but  it  has  recently  been  relinquished  be- 
cause the  heathen  youth  can  better  be  instructed  ni  their  own 
country  at  the  missionary  stations. 

The  American  Board  have  now  43  stations,  39  preachers, 
89  male  and  92  female  assistants,  25  churches  with  200  native 
members,  and  200  schools  with  '20,000  scholars. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1823,  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Mis 


I 


Chap,  24. 


PROTESTANT    MISSIONS. 


399 


sioN^RY  Society  in  the  United  States,  was  formed  at  Phi- 
ladelphia. Auxiliary  Societies  have  been  cstabhshed  and  pre- 
peirations  made  for  active  co-operation  with  other  societies  in 
bringing  men  to  the  knowledge  of  salvation. 

As  the  peoplf*  of  God  in  America  have  looked  abroad  they 
have  felt  a  new  spirit  arising  in  their  breasts  toward  their  own 
country.  In  May,  1826,  The  American  Home  Missionary 
Society,  was  formed  at  New-York.  It  designs  to  concentrate 
the  operations  of  all  the  domestic  missionary  societies  in  the 
United  States. 

Amid  the  benevolent  efforts  of  Christians  toward  the  pa- 
gan nations,  tlie  children  of  Israel  scattered  among  every  nation 
have  not  been  forgotten.  Mr.  Wolf,  a  converted  Jew,  has 
made  the  most  laudable  efforts  in  Europe  and  Asia,  to  search 
out  and  convert  his  brethren,  and  large  societies  have  been 
formed  in  Great-Britain  and  America  which  have  sent  among 
them  missionaries  and  tracts,  and  instituted  schools  for  their 
children. 

Tabular  view  of  Protestant  Missions  throughout  the  Globe. 


Western  Africa,  .     .     . 
South  AlVica,      .     .     . 
African  Islands,    .     .     . 
Mediterranean, 
Black  and  Caspian  Seas, 

Siberia, 

Cliina, 

India  beyond  the  Ganges 
India  within  the  Gang-es, 

Ceylon, 

Indian  Archipelago,    . 
Australia  and  Polynesia, 
Guiana  and  West-Indies, 
North  American  Indians, 

Labrador, 

Greenland, 

Total,     . 


Stations. 

Mission- 

19 

26 

27 

50 

3 

7 

4 

18 

3 

14 

1 

3 

1 

I 

5 

H 

56 

120 

18 

28 

15 

21 

35 

63 

69 

J04 

35 

88 

3 

14 

4 

16 

288 

584 

Native 

Pupils  in 

Members 

Assist. 

School. 

ofCh'es. 

23 

3,460 

G08 

6 

G83 

367 

1 

245 

1 

1 

150 

240 

22,240 

495 

29 

1-2JC4 

£50 

381 

93 

9,586 

2,000 

2,322 

33,680 

2,600 

600 

53,600 

38,3  Ifl 

4UU  BIBLE    SOCIETIES.  PERIOD    III, 

If  this  zeal  for  Missions  which  we  have  been  contemplating 
and  which  has,  for  the  last  thirty  years  especially,  swelled  the 
song  of  heaven,  has  constituted  a  new  era  in  the  church,  no 
less  has  the  powerful  operation  of  a  sister  spirit  which  has  car- 
ried forth  the  Bible  to  every  nation. 

In  1803,  a  Mr.  Charles,  minister  in  Wales,  went  to  London 
to  obtain  if  possible,  some  Welsh  Bibles  for  the  destitute  poor 
in  that  country.  His  affecting  representations  and  appeals  ex- 
cited numbers  to  unite,  March  7,  1804,  in  the  formation  of  that 
now  magnificent  institution, 

THE  BRITISH  AND  FOREIGN  BIBLE  SOCIETY. 

The  great  object  of  this  society  from  its  commence- 
ment has  been,  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  without  note 
or  comment,  in  the  principal  living  languages.  Its  early  and 
unrivalled  popularity,  the  vastness  of  its  exertions  and  its  bles- 
sed results  are  and  ever  must  be  objects  of  wonder  and  lively 
gratitude.  It  has  already  issued  from  its  depository  in  twenty- 
two  years,  above  four  millions  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
assisted  in  disseminating  or  translating  the  Bible  in  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  seven  different  languages  and  dialects.  Its  ex- 
penditures have  been  above  six  millions  of  dollars. 

While  It  has  been  thus  active  in  supplying  the  spiritual  wants 
of  the  vast  family  of  man,  it  has  excited  Christians  in  different 
parts  of  the  world  to  go  and  do  likewise.  Noble  societies  have 
been  formed  in  Switzerland,  Ireland,  Russia,  Prussia,  Nor- 
way, Denmark,  Sweden,  North  America,  Holland,  Germany, 
Paris — also  in  Asia  and  Africa,  which,  by  their  numerous  aux- 
iliaries, are  rapidly  filling  the  earth  with  the  word  of  life.  A- 
bout  3,000  are  now  in  active  operation,  whose  annual  receipts 
are  about  500,000  dollars. 

In  this  age  of  benevolence  have  also  arisen  the  industrious 
Tract  Societies,  which  are  fast  filling  the  world  with  little 
heralds  of  salvation.  The  first  was  instituted  in  1799  in  Lon- 
don, which  has  issued  from  its  depository  80  millions  of  tracts 
in  forty-two  different  languages.  The  American  Tract  Society 
was  formed  at  Boston,  1814.  In  1825,  it  became  auxiliary  to 
the  National  Tract  Society  formed  at  New  York.  These  insti- 
tutions have  also  sent  forth  millions  of  publications  for  the 
spiritual  instruction  of  mankind.  In  1817,  the  Methodists, 
"with  a  like  commendable  zeal,  formed  at  New-York  the  Metho- 
dist Tract  Society,  which  has  been  active  in  tlie  cause. 

To  supply  the  great  demand  which  exists  for  preachers  of 
the  Gospel,  a  society  was  formed  in  Boston,  N.  E.  Aug.  29, 


Chap.  ^4.  sabbath  schools,     conclusion.  401 

1815,  called  the  American  Education  Societv,  whose  object 
is  the  education  of  pious  young  men  for  the  Gospel  Ministry. 
This  society,  has,  during  its  existence,  rendered  itself  emi- 
nently serviceable  to  the  church,  and  promises  by  its  perma- 
nent funds,  to  continue  to  do  so  to  the  end  of  time.  545  ben- 
eficiaries have  received  assistance  in  the  first  ten  years. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  last  century  the  attention  of  the 
church  was  directed  to  her  children  and  youth.  Scliools  were 
established  in  Great  Britain  on  the  Lord's  day,  through  the 
agency  of  Robert  Raikes,  for  the  instruction  of  the  ignorant 
poor  in  divine  things.  The  churches  in  America  and  other 
parts  of  the  world  saw  their  utility  and  followed  the  example. 
In  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  700,000  youth  are  now  receiving 
instruction  m  6,000  schools  from  more  than  50,000  teachers. 
In  the  United  States,  about  180,000.  In  the  whole  world 
more  than  a  million. 

The  Seamen,  who  have  in  all  ages,  been  deplorably  destitute 
of  religious  instruction,  have  also  of  late  received  great  atten- 
tion from  the  pious  and  benevolent.  Places  of  worship  have 
been  prepared  in  some  of  the  principal  sea-ports  in  the  Chris- 
tian world  ;  preaching  has  been  afforded,  and  soiiie  thousands 
have  been  converted  to  the  Lord. 

Wo  have  briefly  contemplated  the  operations  of  the  Protes- 
tant world  for  the  enlargement  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 
By  these,  the  great  Captain  of  salvation  is  going  forth  con- 
quering and  to  conquer.  How  beautifu<l  are  his  feet  upon  the 
mountains !  The  church  is  moving  rapidly  toward  millenial 
glories.  Forgetting  in  a  measure,  the  contentiont>  and  secta- 
rian animosities  which  have,  in  past  ages,  engrossed  her,  she  is 
with  apostolic  benevolence  and  zeal,  carrying  the  light  of  life 
to  "  the  old  wastes,  the  desolations  of  many  generations." 
Who  is  not  grateful  that  he  lives  in  this  age  ?  that  he  stands  on 
this  spot  between  the  living  and  the  dead  ?  Who,  in  this  mo- 
ment of  holy  enterprize,  of  lofty  exploit,  will  not  pray,  with 
greatest  earnestness,  Thy  kingdom  come  ?  Who  will  not  con- 
secrate to  Messiah's  triumphs  over  Pagan  darkness  and  idolatry, 
Mahometan  imposture  and  Popish  superstition,  his  time,  his 
talents,  his  possessions,  his  influence  ? 

"  Uehold  the  tabernacle   of   God  is  w^itii  men  ;  and  he 

WILL  dwell  with  THEM  ;  AND  THEY  SHALL  BE  HIS  PEOPLE  ;  AND 

God  himself  shall  be  with  them  and  be  their  God.  And 
God  shall  wipe   away   all   tears  from   their  eyes  ;  and 

there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  '  or  CRY- 
ING, neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain  :  roil  the  for- 
mer THINGS  ARE  PASSED  AWAY." 

34* 


HISTORY  OF  THE  JEWS  FROM  THE  DESTRUCTION 
OF  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


A  coin  struck  at  Rome  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus., 
representing  the  conquered  country — she  that  was  full  of  people  sitting 
a  widow,  solitary  and  weeping. 

No  mind  can  contemplate  the  ancient  history  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  the  chosen  people  of  God,  without  feeling  a  strong  de- 
sire to  trace  their  course  subsequent  to  their  excision  from  the 
Church,  for  their  unbelief,  and  to  know  something  of  their  pre- 
sent state  and  future  prospects.  In  this  place  can  be  presented 
only  a  brief  view  of  Their  Residence,  Government,  Reli- 
gion, Learning  and  Learned  Men,  The  Fate  of  their 
Beloved  Ciyy  and  Country,    Their  False  Christs,    Per- 

SECL'TIONS     and     SUFFERINGS,      NuMBERS    AT  VARIOUS    PERIODS 
AND    IN  VARIOUS    COUNTRIES,      EMPLOYMENT,      ATTEMPTS     FOR 

THEIR  Conversion,  Present  State  and  Prospects. 

their  residence. 

The  Jews  have  been  scattered,  as  Moses  declared  they  would 
be,  among  all  people,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other. 
When  the  Roman  General,  Titus,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  72, 
had  destroyed  Jerusalem  and  ploughed  up  its  faundations,  all 
the  lands  in  Judeawere  ordered  to  be  sold,  and  such  oppressive 
acts  were  passed,  that  only  a  ^qw  who  felt  an  attachment  to  their 
land,  which  could  not  be  destroyed,  remained  to  die  amid  its 
desolations.  Multitudes  retired  to  Egypt  and  the  island?  of  the 
Adriatic  ;  great  numbers  fled  to  Persia  and  Babylon  ;  and  ma- 
ny took  refuge  in  Italy  and  the  western  part  of  the  Roman  em- 


404  API'Ii!NDIA, 

pire.     From  that  day  to  this,  they  have  been  found,  when  suf- 
fered by  civil  governments,  in  every  region  of  civilized  man. 

GOVERNMENT. 

It  was  predicted  that  the  sceptre  should  not  depart  from  Ju- 
dah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until  Shiloh  should 
come.  The  Jews  governed  themselves  untd  Christ  came,  and 
then  the  government  departed  from  them,  and  they  have  now  for 
1800  years,  without  a  moment  of  independent  sovereignty,  been 
subject  to  others.  They  have,  excepting  in  the  United  States, 
served  their  enemies  in  every  land  and  had  an  iron  yoke  of  bon- 
dage put  upon  their  necks.  They  could  not,  however,  well 
long  remain  as  a  separate  body  witliout  some  internal  organiza- 
tion, Knd  soon  after  their  dispersion,  they  divided  into  two  great 
branches,  the  eastern  and  western,  and  chose  distinguished 
leaders  to  be  their  guides.  The  head  of  the  eastern  Jews  was 
styled  the  Prince  of  the  Captivity.  His  residence  was  at  Baby- 
lon or  Bagdat.  The  head ofthe  western,  the  Patriarch.  He  resided 
at  Tiberias.  These  chiefs  were  ofthe  Levitical  race  ;  and,  bemg 
excluded  from  the  royal  dignity  and  confined  to  religious  con- 
cerns, they  never  became  alarming  to  the  Romans.  As  the 
Sanhedrim  could  meet  in  no  place  but  Jerusalem,  it  became  ex- 
tinct at  the  destruction  of  the  city,  but  tribunals  called  houses 
of  judgment,  for  the  decision  of  religious  disputes,  were  after- 
wards erected. 

In  the  year  429,  the  office  of  Patriarch  was  abolished  by  im- 
perial law  to  the  great  grief  of  the  western  Jews.  They  were 
in  consequence  of  this,  left  solely  under  the  direction  of  the 
chiefs  of  the  synagogues,  whom  they  called  Primates.  The 
Princes  of  the  captivity  were  splendid  and  powerful,  but 
they  were  totally  extinct  in  1089,  when  the  Jews  were  banished 
from  the  East.  In  the  Ottoman  empire,  the  Jews  are  subject  to 
a  chief  of  their  own  nation  called  Cochan  Pasca,  whose  power 
over  them  is  very  absolute. 

Evory  Jewish  church  is  at  present  governed  by  a  presiding 
Rabbi.  Two  or  three  of  these  Rabbis  form  a  tribunal  termed 
Beth  Din,  the  house  of  justice,  for  settling  religious  and 
sometimes  civil  disputes. 

RELIGION. 

To  their  religion,  the  Jews  have  adhered  with  an  inflexible 
obstinacy.  Such  parts  of  their  worship  as  were  necessarily 
confined  to  Jerusalem,  particularly  sacrifices,  have  ceased  \  but 


APPENDIX.  405 

as  closely  as  they  could,  in  their  dispersed  state,  they  have  ad- 
hered to  the  Mosaic  dispensation.  Since  their  dispersion,  they 
have  had  no  High  priest.  A  Rabbi  or  priest  presides  in  tlieir 
worship,  preaches  and  marries. 

Their  articles  of  faith  have  been  few  and  simple.  Their 
principal  one  respects  the  future  coming  of  the  Messiah,  who  is 
expected  to  be  a  great  temporal  prince.  Some  have  anticipa- 
ted two  ;  Br;n  Ephraim,  a  person  of  low  and  mean  condition, 
and  Ben  David,  a  prince  of  great  glory. 

They  have  supposed  a  two  fold  law  of  God — the  five  books 
of  Moses  and  oral  tradition.  The  traditions  were  said  to 
liave  been  delivered  first  by  God  to  Moses,  and  then,  from  age 
to  age,  to  the  leaders  of  the  Jews ;  until  the  middle  of  the 
second  century,  when  they  were  collected  into  one  book  called 
the  MisNA,  which  is  received  as  a  sacred  book  of  equal  authori- 
ty with  the  v/ritten  law,  A  commentary  on  this,  by  Jocliandn, 
is  called  The  Jerusalem  Talmud.  This  and  another  work 
compiled  in  the  fifth  century,  called  the  Talmud  of  Babylon,  a 
collection  of  the  sayings,  del)ates  and  decisions  of  Rabbis  for 
300  years,  are  also  esteemed  sacred  books. 

About  the  sixth  century,  a  fear  prevailed  among  them  that 
tliey  should  lose  the  sacred  scriptures  as  their  native  tongue 
had  nearly  ceased,  and  the  Masora  was  formed,  called  "  the 
hedge  of  the  law  ;  in  which  the  true  reading  of  the  Hebrew  text" 
was  fixed  by  vowels  and  accents,  and  the  chapters,  sections, 
verses,  words  and  letters  of  the  Old  Testament  were  numbered  ; 
— a  most  stupendous  labour. 

The  Pharisees  have  ever  formed  the  bulk  of  the  nation.  But 
among  them  are  many  real  Sadducees.  A  reformed  party  has 
recently  appeared  in  Germany,  who  are  genuine  deists. 

LEARNING  AND  LEARNED  MEN. 

The  Jews  have  never  been  a  literary  people.  Rabbinical 
knowledge  is  all  that  has  been  esteemed  by  them  of  any  value, 
and  from  this  they  have  feared  the  study  of  the  Greek  and  Ro- 
man classics,  would  wean  their  youth  In  the  twelfth  century, 
hov/ever,  a  constellation  of  learned  men  appeared  in  Europe 
who  were  an  honor  to  the  nation.  The  chief  of  these,  were 
Nathan  Ben  Jechiel,  Abraham  Ben  Ezra,  a  commentator  on  the 
Old  Testament ;  Moses  Maimonides,  muster  of  many  eastern 
languages,  a  distinguished  physician  and  an  able  defender  of 
j  the  Mosaic  institutioA  ;  Isaac  Jaiki,  called  by  the  Jews,  Prince 
of  Commentators  and  the  family  of  the  Kimskis,  distinguished 
for  Hebrew  learnuig.     In  a  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  the 


400  APPENDIX. 

Jewish  Rabbis  always  excelled  the  Roman  and  English  priests 
in  the  dark  ages.  Poland,  iias,  in  modern  times,  been  tiie  chief 
seat  of  Jewish  literature.  A  famous  Jewish  scliool  existed  at 
Cracow  in  the  sixteenth  century,  to  which  youth  were  sent  ram 
all  parts  of  Europe.  At  Leesen,  in  Germany,  a  college  was  es- 
tablished in  1801,  where  Hebrew  youth  are  taught  the  langua- 
ges and  sciences. 

FATE    OF    THEIR    BELOVED    CITY    AND    COUNTRY. 

About  50  years  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  empe- 
ror Adrian,  sent  a  colony  to  rebuild  it  in  the  Roman  style,  and 
called  it  Jilia  Capitoiina,  which  excited  a  rebellion  of  the  Jews 
under  Barchobebas,  the  false  Messiah,  but  tney  were  subdued 
with  a  terrible  slaughter,  and  the  city  was  finished,  and  all  Jews 
were  prohibited  from  entering  it,  or  looking  at  it,  upon  pain  of 
deatli.  To  prevent  further  disturbance,  Adrian  destroyed  all 
that  remained  of  the  ancient  city,  and  as  he  could  not  change 
the  face  of  nature  he  profaned  every  place  held  sacred  ;  erected 
a  theatre  with  the  stones  of  the  Temple  ;  and  a  temple  to  Jupiter 
on  the  site  of  the  Jewish  Temple,  and  placed  a  hog  of  marble 
upon  the  gates  of  the  city.  For  centuries,  the  Jews  durst  not 
creep  over  the  rubbish  to  bewail  their  city  without  bribing  the 
guards. 

About  the  commencement  of  the  fourth  century,  the  emperor 
Constantine  restored  to  the  city  its  ancient  name,  and  enlarged 
and  adorned  it ;  and  soon  after  Julian  designing  to  root  out 
Christianity  from  the  earth,  favoured  the  Jews  and  offered  to  re- 
build their  Temple.  The  Jews  were  at  once  raised  to  a  pitch 
of  enthusiasm.  Ihey  brought  forth  immense  wealth  and  con- 
secrated it  to  the  purpose.  Spades  and  pick-axes  of  silver  were 
provided  by  the  rich,  and  the  women  shewed  their  zeal  by  re- 
moving the  rubbish  in  their  mantles  of  silk.  But  a  terrible 
earthquake  and  fiery  appearances,  compelled  them  to  abandon 
the  undertaking. 

In  the  year  613,  Chosroes,  the  Persian  monarch,  took  Jeru- 
salem and  delivered  it  into  the  hands  of  the  Jews  who  pillaged 
the  Christian  temples  and  put  90,000  Christian  prisoners  to 
death.  It  was  soon  after  retaken  by  Heraclius,  the  Greek  em- 
peror, but  retained  only  a  short  period,  for,  in  the  year  6'36,  the 
Saracens  took  it,  and  by  command  of  Omar,  on  the  ground 
where  Solomon's  Temple  stood,  was  erected  a  Mahometan 
mosque.  The  inhabitants  were  allowed  their  religion,  but  were 
not  permitted  to  ride  upon  saddles  or  to  bear  armso     The  holy 


APPENDIX.  407 

and  beloved  city  now  remained  subject  to  the  caliphs  about 
400  years. 

Ill  1099,  the  city  was  taken  by  the  crusaders,  and  as  the  Jews 
were  the  successors  of  tliose  who  crucified  the  Saviour,  they 
were  most  inhumanly  put  to  death. 

In  1189,  it  was  retaken  by  the  Turks  arid  by  them  it  has  been 
held  in  subjection  together  with  the  whole  of  Palestine  to  the 
present  time. 

FALSE    CIIRISTS. 

'•  Christ  told  his  disciples  that  there  should  he  false  Christ? 
g,nd  false  prophets,  who  should  shew  great  signs  and  wonders  ; 
insomuch,  that,  if  it  were  possible,  they  would  deceive  the  very 
elect.  Butnone  attracted  much  regard  until  A.D.  132,  when  one 
arose  calling  himself  Barchobebas,  or  son  of  a  star,  the  person 
predicted  by  Balaam.  He  excited  his  countrymen  to  rebellion 
against  the  Romans  and  promised  them  a  full  restoration  to 
former  glory.  The  Rabbi  Akibha  became  his  fore-runner,  and 
publicly  anointed  him  as  the  Messiah  and  King  of  the  Jews ; 
putting  a  diadem  on  his  head.  200,000  Jews  were  soon  col- 
lected around  this  impostor,  in  the  field,  who  fell  with  fury  upon 
both  heathens  and  Christians.  They  gained  at  first,  some  ad- 
vantage over  the  imperial  army  ;  but,  in  a  short  period,  they 
were  all  scattered  or  slain  by  the  forces  of  Adrian.  Barchobe- 
bas and  his  precursor  with  580,000  Jews  fell  by  the  sword  ; 
besides  vast  multitudes  who  perished  by  famine  and  pestilence. 
Such  of  the  Jews  as  survived,  were  sold  as  slaves  and  dispersed 
over  the  earth. 

Others  in  succeeding  periods  claimed  the  like  homage,  but 
the  twelfth  century  was  the  most  prolific.  One  then,  appeared 
in  France  ;  another  in  Persia  ;  another  in  Spain  ;  a  fourth  in 
Fez,  who  pretended  to  work  miracles  ;  a  fifth  beyond  the  Eu- 
phrates, who  drew  prodigious  multitudes  after  him  ,  two  others 
in  Persia  and  one  in  Moravia.  All  these  impostors  were  put 
to  death  and  drew  indescribable  calamities  upon  the  Jews  in 
various  parts  of  the  world. 

But  none,  since  Barchobebas,  ever  imposed  so  far  upon  the 
Jews  or  became  so  distinguished  as  Zabathai  Tzevi,  who  ap;- 
])eared  at  Smyrna  in  1606.  He  was  adored  as  the  first  born  of 
God.  400  prophets  prophesied  of  his  glories.  The  Jews  every 
where  prepared  to  follow  him  to  the  Holy  land.  But  interfe- 
ring with  the  rights  of  the  Grand  Seignior,  he  was  taken  and 
beinor  shewn  the  stake,  he  turned  Turk. 

The  last  impostor  that  has  collected  many  followers,  wagi 


40S  APPENfilX. 

Mordecai,  a  German,  in  1632.  In  1650,  a  great  council  wsls 
convened  on  the  plains  of  Egeda  in  Hungary,  to  consider 
whether  the  Messiah  had  come.  300  Rabbis  were  present. 
Some  were  perplexed  with  the  Christian  miracles,  but  the  ma- 
jority agreed  that  he  had  been  retarded  by  their  sins. 

PERSECUTIONS  AND  SUFFERINGS. 

In  the  28th  of  Deuteronomy,  Moses  declared  to  the  Israelites 
that  if  they  forsook  God,  they  should  endure  sufferings  such  as 
no  nation  had  ever  known.  Some  of  these  were  brought  upon 
them  in  the  first  captivity  and  in  the  wars  of  the  Maccabees. 
But  since  they  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory,  they  have  awfully 
realized  the  whole. 

Eleven  hundred  thousand  perished  in  the  destruction  of  Je- 
rusalem. 580,000  fell  with  Barchobebas.  Such  a§  survived, 
were  sold  as  slaves  into  Egypt,  and  forbidden  on  pain  of  death 
even  to  look  at  their  beloved  city.  Sapor,  king  of  Persia,  be- 
coming jealous  of  them  violently  persecuted  them,  A.  D.  200, 
throughout  his  dominions.  When  the  Roman  empire  becam.e 
Christian,  the  Jews  were  universally  abhorred  as  the  persecu- 
tors of  Christ,  and  all  intercourse  with  Christians  was  publicly 
forbidden.  If  any  Jew  married  a  Christian  or  circumcised  a 
slave,  he  was  put  to  death.  Mahomet  liattered  them  for  a  sea- 
son so  that  they  began  to  view  him  as  the  Messiah  ;  but  he  be- 
came their  inveterate  foe  and  turned  his  arms  against  them  as 
a  people  accursed  of  God  ;  slew  vast  multitudes ;  drove  them  in- 
to exile ;  confiscated  their  estates  and  compelled  all  who  re- 
mained to  pay  the  most  exorbitant  tribute.  Such  Jews  as 
turned  Mahometans  were  declared  in  the  East,  sole  heirs  of 
family  estates,  and  such  as  refused  were  compelled  to  wear  a 
disgraceful  badge,  excluded  from  all  ofiices  and  compelled  to 
ride  on  asses  instead  of  horses  and  v/ith  iron  stirrups.  In  3039, 
the  Jews  were  all  banished  from  the  east  by  the  Sultan  Cajem, 
and  compelled  to  fiee  to  Eurot  e  and  Africa. 

From  the  Crusaders  they  suffered  the  greatest  cruelties  ; 
were  trampled  upon,  robbed  and  butchered  in  crowds.  1,500 
were  massacred  at  Strasburg  ;  1,300  at  Mayence  ;  J  2,000  at 
Batavia.  Women  seeing  the  crusaders  approach,  killed  their 
children,  prefering  to  send  them,  as  they  said,  to  Abraham's  bo- 
som, to  having  them  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Crusaders. 
When  Jerusalem  was  taken,  all  the  Jews  there  were  murdered. 
The  public  cry  through  Europe,  was,  "  Let  us  exterminate  the 
descendants  of  those  who  crucified  Christ,  and  let  the  name  of 
Israel  be  no  more  remembered,'^ 


APPENDIX.  409 

I  In  England,  they  were  for  a  long  course  of  years,  treated  as 
the  offscouring  of  the  earth ;  robbed,  imprisoned,  tormented, 
until  1290,  when  king  Edward  banished  them  all  from  the 
kingdom,  scarcely  allowing  them  property  to  carry  them  to  oth- 
er lands.  The  number  banished  was  16,511.  They  were  shut 
out  of  England  for  350  years. 

I      In  France,  they  met  with  no  better  treatment.     After  a  long 
!  series  of  most  bitter  persecutions  and  three  successive  banish- 
ments from  the  kingdom,  in  each  of  which,  they  were  despoiled 
of  all  their  effects,  they  were  finally  expelled  in  1380,  by  Charles 
VI.  never  more  to  set  toot  in  his  dominions. 

But  their  severest  sufferings  have  been  in  Spain.     By  the 

crusaders    and  the  inquisition  they  were  from  time  to  time 

made  to  feel  the  wrath  of  man.     15,000  were  at  one  time  put 

to  death  on  a  charge  of  poisoning  the   wells  and  fountains. 

I  25,000  were  compelled  to  embrace  Christianity.     Being  closely 

I  watched  and  found  to  practise  circumcision,  2,000  were  put  to 

i  death  and  many  were  long  imprisoned.     In   1492,  Ferdinand 

and  Isabella,  issued  a  fatal  edict  banishing  all  the  Jews  in  four 

months  from  Spain.     70,000  families  or  800,000  persons  were 

driven  from  that  beautiful   kingdom  amid  the  greatest  distress 

:  and  suffering. 

In  Germany,  12,000  were  killed  on  a  charge  of  poisoning  the 
waters,  and  in  the  year  1 ,400,  all  were  banished  from  the  Ger- 
man empire  who  would  not  receive  baptism. 
j      In  1350,  Lewis  I.  king  of  Hungary,  banished  the  Jews  from 
j  his  dominions.      In  1454,  Lewis  X.  duke  of  Bavaria,  did  the 
same,  and  confiscated  their  estates. 

In  Persia,  they  suffered  in   1666,  under  Shaw  Abbas  II.  a 
\  general  massacre  for  three  years.      All  without  distinction  of 
age  or  sex  were  destroyed  without  pity  who  would  not  renounce 
Judaism. 

In  Africa,  the  Jews  have  flourished  much,   but  even  Africa. 

presents  us  the  astonishing  fulfilment  of  prophecy  respecting 

them.     In  Abyssinia,  they  were    i educed    in   the   seventeenth 

century  to  the  very  brink  of  ruin.     At  Cairo,  they  have  always 

i  been  free  plunder    for  the  dominant  party.     In    Morocco  and 

^Fez  they  have  been  repeatedly  pillaged  and  buffeted  and  sub- 

jjected  to  the  heaviest  tributes,  and  even  the  negroes  in  the  in- 

l;|terior,   have  been  found  calling  them  dogs,    and  treating  them 

in  the  most  contemptuous  manner. 

;!  Since  the  Reformation,  their  sufferings  have  been  less  severe 
■;in  Europe  than  before.  The  popes  have  suffered  them  to  re- 
side at  Rome,  to  remind  the  people  of  Christ's  sufferings,  and 
I  35 


410  appi:ndix. 

that  they  might  be  converted.  To  England  they  have  had  ac- 
cess since  the  days  of  Cromwell,  but  they  are  still  there  aliens 
in  the  eye  of  the  law.  In  Spain  and  Portugal,  they  live  only 
by  dissimulating.     Many  good  Catholics  there  are  Jews. 

In  their  Holy  city  they  have  for  1800  years,  received  nothing 
but  oppression,  ignominy  and  reproach.  Those  who  now  re- 
side there  exhibit  the  most  affecting  picture  of  human  wretch- 
edness. 

EFFORTS    FOR    THEIR    CONVERSION. 

The  Apostles  made  great  efforts  for  the  conversion  of  the 
Jews,  and  were  eminently  successful.  3,000  were  converted 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  But  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem they  were  so  hardened  in  opposition  to  Christ  and  such 
objects  of  general  detestation,  that  they  were  for  a  long  period 
left  to  total  blindness  by  God  and  man. 

In  the  year  428  some  faint  efforts  were  made  by  the  bishop 
of  Minorca,  to  convert  the  Jews  in  that  island.  A  similar  ef- 
fort was  made  in  606  in  the  isle  of  Cyprus ;  but  neither  were 
very  successful.  In  1250,  Raymond  de  Penneforte  exerted 
himself  to  this  effect  in  Spain.  In  1412  pope  Benedict  XIII. 
appointed  a  public  conference  ;  Jerome,  a  converted  Jew,  r 
soned  with  his  brethren  out  of  the  scriptures  and  4  or  5,000 
were  said  to  be  converted.  25,000  Jews  renounced  their  reli- 
gion in  Spain  in  1413  ;  but  it  was  merely  for  safety.  They  se 
cretly  observed  the  Jewish  rites.  In  1690,  Esdras  Edgardus, 
converted  Jew  at  Hamburg,  made  the  most  successful  efforts, 
recorded  since  the  days  of  the  Apostles.  Gregory  XIII.  order- 
ed a  sermon  to  be  preached  every  week  at  Rome,  for  their  con 
version,  and  compelled  one  third  of  the  Israelites  in  the  city  t< 
be  present. 

In  the  year  1800,  the  Missionary  Society  in  London  zealous 
ly  engaged  in  the  conversion  of  the  Jews  and  were  afterward 
much  aided  in  their  designs  by  Joseph  Frey,  a  converted  Jew 
who  became  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  of  considerable  celebritj 
And,  in  1809,  a  society  was  formed  in  London,  consisting  ( 
fifteen  different  denominations  until  1815,  when  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  establishment,  whose  special  object  was  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews.  Of  this  society,  Mr.  Frey  was  made  presi- 
dent, and  he  preached  often  to  his  brethren.  Hundreds  at- 
tended on  his  preaching,  some  of  whom  were  converted.  Some 
thousands  of  pounds  have  been  expended  in  instructing  Hebrew 
children,  and  printing  and  circulating  Hebrew  Bibles  and 
Tracts.     A  seminary  was  founded  in  1821,  for  the  education  oi^ 


APPENDIX.  411 

Jewish  youth  for  the  ministry.  Thirty  have  gone  forth  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  their  brethren  in  Asia. 

In  1819,  a  society  was  formed  in  Edinburgh  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Jews  ;  another  has  been  established  in  Glasgow,  and 
several  on  the  continent. 

In  1820  was  formed  the  American  Society  for  meliorating  the 
condition  of  the  Jews.  Many  auxiliary  and  several  independent 
societies  have  since  risen  up  in  various  parts  of  the  U.  States 
through   the    agency  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frey,  the  converted  Jew. 

But  the  greatest  effort  made  by  any  individual  of  modern 
times  has  been  made  by  Joseph  Wolf,  a  converted  Jew — a  man 
of  astonishing  talents  and  most  noble  spirit,  who  has  visited  his 
brethren  in  Europe  and  Asia,  and  addressed  them  with  great 
power  and  effect. 

NUMBERS. 

The  number  of  the  Jews  in  the  world  and  in  various  countries 
at  different  periods  is  an  interesting  subject ;  but  never  can  be 
ascertained  with  much  accuracy.  At  the  time  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  they  probably  numbered  not  far  from  three 
millions.  This  number  has  varied  much  in  different  ages  and 
countries  according  to  the  opportunity  given  them  for  increase. 
For  the  first  1200  years,  they  were  far  more  numerous  in  the 
East  than  in  the  West.  But  in  the  tenth  century,  their 
numbers  were  greatly  diminished  there  by  the  invasion  of  the 
Tartars  and  persecution  of  the  Persians.  In  Palestine,  their 
number  has  always  been  small.  When  they  were  banished 
from  Spain  in  1492,  there  were  in  that  kingdom  70,000  families. 
In  1619,  there  were  in  the  province  of  Fez,  80,000.  In  the 
Ecclesiastical  state  they  have  numbered  an  hundred  synagogues, 
nine  of  which  were  in  Rome.  Their  present  number  is  proba- 
bly between  three  and  four  millions.  In  the  Ottoman  empire 
it  is  supposed  there  are  a  million.  At  Constantinople  80,000. 
At  Aleppo  5,000.  Jerug^lem  3,000.  In  China,  India  and 
Persia  300,000.  Of  the  white  and  black  Jews  at  Cochin 
16,000.  In  Ethiopia,  100,000.  In  Morocco,  Fez  and  Algiers 
400,000.  In  Poland,  300,000.  England,  20,000.  Holland, 
60,000.     France,  20,000.     The  United  States,  6,000. 

EMPLOYMENT. 

As  the  Jews  were,  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  dispos- 
sessed of  their  lands  and  driven  into  foreign  countries,  they 
were  compelled  to  resort  to  commerce  for  support.  And  hav- 
ing ever  been  in  expectation  of  returning  to  Judea  upon  a  sud- 
den summons,  they  have  never  purchased,  to  much  extent,  any 


113  APPENDIX. 

territory,  nor  engaged  largely  in  agricultural  employments ;  but 
have  been  the  brokers  and  bankers  of  others.  Their  commer-< 
cial  pursuits  were  much  promoted  in  the  fifth  century  by  the 
invasion  of  the  northern  nations,  who  had  an  abhorrence  of 
commerce  and  suffered  it  all  to  be  transferred  to  a  people  whom 
they  viewed  with  ignominy  and  contempt.  In  England,  they 
were  for  a  long  time  the  chief  conductors  of  foreign  trade,  and 
wrought  most  of  the  gold  and  silver  ornaments  for  the  churches 
In  the  Ottoman  empire,  they  obtained  the  privilege  of  selling 
wine,  because  it  was  supposed  that  they  would  strictly  regard 
the  Jewish  law  which  forbad  their  making  any  mixture.  In 
Egypt  and  Morocco,  they  have  ever  farmed  the  customs,  coined 
the  money  and  conducted  all  foreign  commerce.  In  most  parts 
of  the  world  and  in  every  age  they  have  accumulated  great 
wealth.  In  Europe  and  America,  they  are  now  generally  bro- 
kers, dealers  in  clothes,  watches,  jewels,  and  a  number  of  young 
people  are  teachers  of  children. 

PRESENT    STATE. 

In  Great  Britain  the  Jews  are  not  known  in  law,  but  they 
are  connived  at  and  valued  for  their  enterprise.  They  have 
the  free  exercise  of  their  worship,  and  the  opportunity  to  ac- 
quire, and  ability  to  hold  property  to  any  extent.  Their  litera- 
ture is  respectable.     They  have  five  synagogues  in  London. 

In  Holland,  the  Jews  are  numerous,  wealthy  and  respectable. 

In  Spain,  they  are  not  known  as  Jews  ;  but  are  numerous  in 
every  class  of  society  ;  even  among  priests  and  inquisitors  as 
good  catholics. 

In  Portugal,  they  are  in  the  same  manner  obliged  to  dissem- 
ble. The  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Jews  claim  their  descent 
from  a  colony  of  the  trib^  of  Judah,  sent  into  Spain  at  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  and  will  have  no  intercourse  with  the  Ger- 
man Jews.  They  are  in  every  respgct  superior  to  the  German 
Jews,  and  vie  with  other  Europeans  in  refinement  and  intelli- 
gence.    They  have  separate  synagogues  wherever  they  reside. 

In  Germany  and  Prussia,  most  of  the  vexatious  statutes  of 
former  ages  have  been  repealed,  and  the  Jews  are  living  in 
quiet.  At  Frankfort  however,  they  are  subject  to  many  humil- 
iating restrictions. 

From  Russia,  they    were  formerly  excluded,  but  they  have 
been  united  to  it  by  the  union  of  countries  in  which  they  resi- 
ded, and  favourable  edicts  have  been  passed  by  the  Emperor. —  i 
A  colony  of  Caraite  or  protestant  Jews,  who  adhere  closely  to 


APPENDIX.  413 

the  Scriptures,  are  on  the  Crimea.  Poland  has  been  their  chief 
seat  in  modern  ages.  There  are  now  in  that  country  from  2 
to  300,000,  enjoying  great  privileges. 

In  Sweden  and  Denmark,  they  have  a  good  degree  of  liberty. 

In  France,  from  whence  they  were  expelled  in  1394,  and 
where  only  a  few  for  centuries  were  known  at  Metz  and  Bor- 
deaux, their  situation  since  the  revolution  has  been  highly  grat- 
ifying. In  1791,  all  who  would  take  the  civic  oath  were  admit- 
ted to  the  rank  of  citizens.  This  act  first  gave  them  a  coun«' 
try,  in  Europe.  The  Emperor  Napoleon  convened  an  assem- 
bly of  them  in  Paris,  May  30th,  1806,  that  he  might  learn  their 
principles,  and  the  next  year  the  Grand  Sanhedrim,  composed 
according  to  ancient  custom  of  seventy  members  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  civil  and  religious  polity.  A  synagogue  and  a 
consistory  were  established  in  every  department. 

In  Paris,  the  Jews  had  in  1812,  a  consistory  and  three  grand 
Rabbles,  and  are  improving  in  literature  and  agriculture. 

In  the  Ottoman  empire,  the  Jews  are  still  numerous  but  less 
affluent,  and  more  ignorant  than  in  Europe.  For  a  heavy  tax 
to  the  Porte,  they  have  the  liberty  of  their  own  worship.  They 
all  wear  beards,  and  are  distinguished  by  their  dress.  Their 
priests  are  much  respected.  In  Jerusalem,  their  ancient  city, 
Ihey  are  as  a  people,  the  objects  of  universal  contempt  ;  who 
suffer  the  most  wanton  outrages  without  a  murmur  ;  who  en- 
dure wounds  and  blows  without  a  sigh  ;  who,  when  the  sacri- 
fice of  their  life  is  demanded,  unhesitatingly  stretch  forth  their 
necks  to  the  sabre.  If  a  member  of  the  community  thus  cru- 
elly proscribed  and  abused,  happens  to  die,  his  companion  bu- 
ries him  clandestinely  during  the  night,  in  the  valley  of  Jehosa- 
phat,  within  the  purlieus  of  the  Temple  of  Solomon.  Enter 
their  habitation  and  you  find  them  in  the  most  abject,  squallid 
misery,  and  for  the  most  part  occupied  in  reading  a  mysterious 
book  to  their  children,  with  whom  again  it  becomes  a  manual 
for  the  instruction  of  future  generations.  The  legitimate  mas- 
ters of  Judea  should  be  seen  as  they  are  in  their  own  land^ 
slaves  and  strangers — awaiting  under  the  most  cruel  and  op- 
pressive of  all  despotisms,  a  king  who  is  to  work  their  deliver- 
ance." 

In  China,  the  Jews  have  existed  for  many  centuries  in  con- 
siderable numbers.  They  have  their  synagogues,  but  so  far 
conform  to  the  Chinese  customs  and  worship,  and  are  so  peace- 
able as  to  meet  with  but  little  persecution. 

In  India,  the  Jews  are  numerous.  Dr.  Buchanan  who  visit- 
ed that  country  in  1806  and  8,  found  their  residence  about  a 

35* 


414  APPENDIX', 

mile  distant  from  Cochin,  called  Jewstown.  They  were  divi- 
ded  into  two  classes,  the  Jerusalem  or  white  Jews,  and  the  an- 
cient or  Black  Jews.  The  former  came  into  India  soon  after 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  The  latter  have  a  tradition  that 
their  ancestors  came  thither  soon  after  the  Babylonish  captivi- 
ty. Their  complexion  differs  much  from  the  white  Jews,  and 
they  are  viewed  by  them  as  an  inferior  race.  From  these  Jews, 
Dr.  B.  obtained  a  manuscript  copy  of  the  Pentateuch,  handed 
down  from  their  ancestors,  which  differs  but  little  from  the  Eu- 
ropean copies. 

In  South  America  and  the  West  Indies,  the  situation  of  the 
Jews  is  favourable  to  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  and  the  prac- 
tice of  their  religion. 

in  the  United  States,  the  Jews  enjoy  perfect  freedom.  But 
few  have  settled  in  New  England.  A  synagogue  has  existed 
for  half  a  century  at  Newport,  R.  I.  In  New  York,  are  two 
congregations  ;  in  Philadelphia,  two  ;  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  one 
very  large  on  the  Portuguese  customs ;  in  Richmond,  one. 

PROSPECTS. 

The  prospects  of  the  Jews  are  brightening.  Their  condition 
is  rapidly  meliorating  in  all  parts  of  the  Christian  world.  The 
extension  of  civil  liberty  and  rational  Christianity,  and  the  ef- 
forts making  for  their  illumination  and  conversion  are  fast  pla- 
cing them  on  the  same  free  footing  with  other  nations,  and 
bringing  them  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

From  the  sure  promise  of  Jehovah,  we  learn  that  the  branch- 
es of  the  olive  tree,  which  were  broken  off,  shall  be  grafted  in 
again.  And  if  the  trump  of  prophecy  does  not  give  an  uncer- 
tain sound,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  Jews  will  every 
where  bow  to  the  yoke  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  enjoy  the  liberty 
and  blessedness  of  the  children  of  God. 

The  Jews,  especially  the  Portuguese  Jews,  believe  that  they 
shall  yet  all  be  restored  to  the  holy  land,  where,  under  the  do- 
minion of  Messiah,  they  shall  become  an  independent  and  glo- 
rious nation.  Many  Christian  writers,  also  believe  in  their  literal 
restoration  to  the  promised  land,  and  the  re-establishment,  for  a 
season,  of  their  temple  worship.  In  support  of  these  opinions, 
the  following  passages  are  adduced.  Deut.  xxx.  5.  Ezekiel 
xxxvi.  23—32,  xxxvii.  19—28.  ,  Isaiah  xi.  10—16.  Jeremiah 
xxiii.  6 — 8.  Isaiah  Ixvi.  20.  Amos  ix.  14, 15.  Joel  iii.  1.  Hosea 
i.  10 — 11.  Romans  xi.  Others  give  all  these  passages  a  spirit- 
ual interpretation,  and  say  they  will  be  fulfilled  in  the  conver- 
sion of  this  ancient  people  of  God  to  the  Christian  faith. 


APPENDIX.  415 

An  interesting  inquiry  relates  to  the  ten  tribes,  which  were 
scattered  abroad  at  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and  which  never 
returned  to  the  holy  land.  Are  they  in  existence  ?  If  they 
are,  where  are  they  to  be  found  ?  Some  suppose  that  they  are 
entirely  lost  among  the  nations.  Others  that  they  are  still  in 
existence,  because  their  entire  extinction  would  be  inconsistent 
with  the  promise  of  God,  and  render  impossible  the  fulfilment 
of  prophecy.  But  where  are  they  to  be  found  ?  Some  sup- 
pose that  they  are  the  Jews  in  China  ;  who  have  a  tradition 
thattheir  ancestors  settled  that  country  1000 years  before  Christ, 
Sir  William  Jones  supposed  they  were  the  nation  of  the  AlF-' 
ghans  in  Persia,  who  had  generally  mingled  with  the  Mahom- 
etans. Dr.  Buchanan  thought  he  found  them  among  the  black 
Jews  near  Cochin,  who  had  copies  of  the  books  of  the  Old 
Testament,  written  before  the  captivity,  but  none  after.  Ma- 
nasses  Ben  Israel,  in  a  work  styled  "  The  Hope  of  Israel,"  at- 
tempted to  prove  that  the  American  Indians  are  the  descend- 
ants of  the  ten  tribes.  This  was  also  the  opinion  of  Eliot, 
the  Apostle  of  the  Indians,  and  has  been  since  strongly 
advocated  by  Mr.  Adair,  for  many  years  a  trader  among  the  In- 
dians, by  the  Hon.  Eiias  Boudinot,  and  by  the  Rev.  Ethan 
vSmith.  These  writers  flatter  themselves  that  they  can  find 
among  the  Indians  something  like  the  Hebrew  festivals,  fasts 
and  religious  rites,  the  Jewish  prophets,  priests  and  cities  of 
refuge  ;  the  basis  of  the  Hebrew  language  ;  many  Hebrew 
words  ;  something  of  the  theocracy  or  divine  government  of  Is- 
rael ;  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  unity  ;  the  Jewish  division  in- 
to tribes  ;  phylacteries  or  ancient  Hebrew  writings  and  various 
traditions  unaccountable  on  any  supposition  but  this,  that  they 
descended  from  Israel.  If  these  Indians  are  indeed  the  poster- 
ity of  Abraham,  it  is  a  most  wonderful  presesvation  of  his  seed 
and  an  astonishing  loss  of  character  and  civilization.  But 
God  will  remember  aad  own  them.  Many  of  them  have 
through  the  labours  of  Eliot,  Brainerd  and  other  men,  been 
converted  to  God.  May  thousands  more  know  the  true  God 
and  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

The  preservation  of  the  Jews  through  eighteen  hundred 
years  of  awful  suffering  and  disgrace,  "  a  reproach  and  a  by- 
word" among  all  nations,  ''  a  bush  burning  with  fire,  yet  not 
consumed,"  is  a  most  wonderful  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  and  of 
course  affords  iucontestible  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  Bible. 
He  who  can  contemplate  it  and  be  an  infidel,  must  renounce  all 
claim  to  a  candid  and  considerate  mind. 


41G 


APPENDIX. 


TABLE  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  World,  according  to  Reli- 
gion from  different  authorities. 


MALTE  BRUN 

HASSEL. 

ADAMS. 

Catholics, 
Greek  Church, 
Protestants, 

116  millions. 

70 
42 

122  millions.  ,  80  millions. 

74                 ;  30 
44                   i  65 

f 

l^otal  of  Christians^ 

228 

UO                  il75 

Jews, 

Mahometans, 

4  or  3 
J  00 

5 

120 

140 

Votaries  of  Brahman-  > 
ism,        .         .          ) 

Votaries  of  Shahman-  i 
ism  &  the  religion  \ 
of  the  Grand  Lama  ) 

Of  the    relig'ion    of  > 
Budhoo,  Fo,  &c.      S 

Various  other  Pagans,  , 

60 

50 

100 
100 

80 
90 

100 

72 

Total  of  the  PagansySlO 

342 

482 

Total  of  Inhabitants  ) 
of  the  Globe,     .      ^ 

653 

707 

800 

TABLE  of  Christian  Denominations. 


KENOMINATIONS. 


Catholics, 


Greek  Church, 

Protestants,   . 
Lutherans,     . 


Other  Protestants, 


NUMBER    AND    COUNTRIES. 


100,000,000.     Southern  and  middle  Europe. 

Do.  Spain,  Portugal  &  Italy,  exclusiveh'. 
Do.  France,  Austria,  Poland,  Belguim 
and  Ireland,  almost  entirely,  and  a 
large  part  of  the  German  states. 
Switzerland,  has  700,000.  Eng- 
land 500,000. 
34,000,000.     Russia  and  Greece.     3^  millions  in 

Austria. 
42,000,000.     Northwest  of  Europe. 
Sweden,  Norway,  Denmark,        .        5  millions. 

Russia, 2^     " 

Germany.     Lutherans  and  reformed,  J 5       "^ 
(Prussia',  6  m.    Austria,  3.    German 

states,  6  m.) 
Great-Britain,     ....         14       '" 

Holland, 2       " 

Switzerland,         .         .         •         .  1       " 

France 3      " 

The  remainder  of  the  population  of  Europe  consists  of  Jews  scat- 
tered through  all  parts ;  Mahometans  in  Turkey  and  southern  Rus- 
sia and  a  few  Pagans  in  Russia. 


.UTENDIX. 


41T 


UNITED  STATES. 


Denomination. 

Churches 

Ministej* 

Where  situated. 

Baptists,     .     .     . 

3,000 

1,800 

Throughout  all  the 
states,       -     -     - 

MethodistSy     .    . 

2,500 

1,200  itinerant) 

200,000  in  the  south- 

3,000 local.       5 

ern  and  western 
states.  90,000  in  the 
middle  and  20,000 
eastern. 

Episcopalians,     . 

700 

10  bishops.    ) 
370  clergy'n.  J 

In  the  Atlantic  states 

and  on  the  Ohio. 

German  Reformed, 

400 

80 

In  Pennsylvania,  Ma- 
ryland, Virginia, 
N.  and  S.  Carolina 

Presbyterians,     . 

1,400 

900 

Middle,  southern  and 
western  states. 

Dutch  Reformed, 

100 

90 

In  New- York  and  N. 
Jersey. 

Congregationalists, 

1,100 

850 

Chiefly  in  N.England 

Quakers,     .     .     . 
(Catholics,    .     .     . 

1,000 

Middle  states  chiefly, 

80  to  100 

160 

Chiefly  in   the  large 

cities  and  in   Ma- 

ryland. 

A  TABLE  exhibiting  some  of  the  most  important  versions  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures. 

The  Septuagjnt,  a  Greek  version  of  the  Old  Testament  made  by  some 

Jews  in  Egypt  about  286  years  before  the  Christian  iEra. 
The  Syrian  version,  made  early  in  the  second  century. 
Two  Egyptian  versions,  made  about  the  same  time. 
The  Ethiopic  or  Abyssinian  version  of  the  Old  Testament  made  about 

the  second  ;  and  of  the  New,  made  about  the  fourth. 
The  Armenian  version,  made  about  the  close  of  the  fourth. 
The  Latin  vulgate,  made  by  Jerome,  about  the  close  of  the  fourth  ; 

adopted  as  the  true  by  the  Roman  church. 
Several  Arabic  translations  made  between  the  seventh  and  the  tenth 

centuries. 
The  Gothic  version,  made  about  the  fifth  century. 
The  Sclavonic  or  old  Russian  translation,  made  by  Cyril  and  Method- 
ius in  the  ninth  century. 
The  anglo-Saxon  version,   made,  from  the  Latin,  in  the  eighth  and 

A.D. 

1534 

.     1535 

1535 

.     1541 

1550 

.     1560 

1562 

.     1569 


ninth  centuries. 
The  German,  made  by  Martin  Luther, 
The  English,  by  Tindal  and  Coverdale, 
The  French  by  Olivetan, 
The  Swedish,  by  Olaus  Petri, 
The  Danish,  by  Palladius, 
The  Dutch,         .... 
The  Italian,  by  Antonio, 
The  Spanish,  by  Cassiodorus  de  Reyna, 


418 


APPENDIX. 


The  Welsh, 

The  Icelandic,  by  Thorlacbjil  .... 

The  Polish,  .  .        • 

The  American  Indian,  by  Eliot,        .        *        .        . 
The  Turkish  Testament,        ..*... 

The  Malay, . 

The  Irish  Bible,  

The  Tamul,  by  the  Danish  Missionaries. 

The  Portuguese,  

The  Spanish,  

The  Greenlandish  Testament,  by  the  Moravians, 
The  Beng-alee  Testament,  by  the  Baptist  Missionaries, 
The  Mahratta        do.  do.  do. 

The  Orissa  Bible,  do.  do. 

The  Sanscrit  Bible,  do.  do. 

The  Chinese  Bible,  by  Mr.  Morrison, 
The  Arabic  Testament,  by  H.  Martyn, 
The  Persian        do.  do. 

The  Otaheitan  Testament,  by  the  English  Missionaries, 
The  Cingalese        do.  do.  do. 

The  Tartar  do.  by  the  Moravians, 

The  African  Amharic  Testament,  by  Clerville, 


A.D 

158S 
1584 
1596 
1663 
1666 
1668 
1685 
1723 
174B 
1793 
1799 
1801 
1807 
1809 
1811 
1815 
1816 
1816 
1818 
1820 
1820 
18oa 


CMROmOIiOQlCJSkli  TABX^E. 


Be/or 

4004. 

3017. 

2348. 

1998 

1996. 

1897. 


1872. 
1706. 
1491. 


1451. 
1444. 
1 122. 

1075. 

1004. 

975. 

588. 

536. 


e  Christ. 

The  Creation.    Fall  of  Man 
Translation  of  Enoch. 
The  Deluge. 
Death  of  JNoah. 
Abraham  born. 
Circumcision  instituted. 
Jewish  Church  commences 

Sodom  and  Gom.  destroyed. 
Isaac  offered 
Jacob  goes  into  Egypt. 
Israel  delivered  from  Egypt 

ian  bondage. 
Law  given.      Mosaic  ritual 

formed. 
Israel  enter  Canaan. 
Tabernacle  set  up  at  Shiloh. 
Sampson  dies  with  the  Plulis 

tines. 

Monarchy  estab'd.  in  Israel 
Dedication  of  the  Temple. 
Division  of  the  ten  tribes  in- 
to two  kingdoms. 
Babylonish   captivity.      Je 

rusalem  destroyed. 
Return  of   the  Jews  from 

captivity 


Before  Christ. 

515.   Dedication  of  the  2d  Temple 
Esther  queen  of  the  Jews. 
Ezra  sent  to  Judea. 
Close  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Alexander  visits  Jerusalem. 
Death  of  Simon  the  just. 
Wars  of  the  Maccabees. 
63.  Jerusalem  taken  by  Pompey. 
19.  Herod  repairs  the  Temple. 
Birth   of  Jesus  Christ,  four 
years  before  the   Christian 
era. 
Jesus  baptized. 
31.  Death  of  John  the  Baptist. 
33.  Crucifixion  of  Christ. 
—   Day  of  Pentecost. 
M.  Death  of  Stephen. 
35.  Conversion  of  Saul. 
39.  Gospelpreached  to  the  Gen- 
tiles. 
Council  at  Jerusalem. 
Rome  burnt  by  Nero. 
First  Heathen  persecution. 
Destruction  of  Jerusalem  bv 
Titus. 


458. 

409. 
332. 
251. 
166. 


4. 
A.  D 

29. 


52. 
64. 

70. 


APPENDIX. 


m 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE — C&ntmucd. 
A.  D.  A.  D 

135.  Barchobebas,  the  false  Mes- 
siah.      580,000  Jews  des- 
troyed. 
177.  Persecution  at  Lyons  and 
Vienne. 

Roman  empire    becomes 
Christian. 
Rise  of  Arianism. 
Council  of  Nice. 
Vain  attempt  of  Julian  to 
rebuild  Jerusalem. 
496.  Baptism  of  Clovis. 
606.  Popery  and  Mahometanism 
The  Heg^ira. 

Controversy  about  images. 
Pope  a  temporal  power.         !1648. 
First  crusade  to  the  Holy:  1662 
land.  1 1 688 

Jerusalem  taken  by  the  cru-  1708- 
saders. 

Pope's  removal  to  Avignon. 
WicklifT. 

Council  of  Constance. 
1415.  John  Huss  burnt. 
1 444.  Invention  of  Printing. 
1492.   America  discovered. 
1517.  The  reformation    in    Ger 
many. 


324. 
325. 
363. 


622. 

726. 

751. 

1096. 

1099. 

1308. 
1324. 
1414. 


1529. 
1534. 
1535. 
1545. 
1550. 
1555. 
1560. 
1.^72. 
1592. 

1618. 
1620. 

163?. 


1729. 
1742. 
1712. 

1804. 

1810. 


Reformers  called  protestanlsx 
Reformation  in  England. 
Order  of  the  Jesuits. 
Council  of  Trent. 
Era  of  English  puritans. 
Persecution  by  Mary. 
Reformation  in  Scotland. 
Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew. 
Presbyterianism  established 

in  Scotland. 
Synod  of  Dort. 
Landing  of  the  pilgrims  al> 

Plymouth. 
Solemn  league  and  covenant 

in  Scotland. 
Cambridge  platform. 

Act  of  uniformity 
Revolution  in  England. 
Say  brook  platform. 
Rise  of  Methodism. 
Great  revival  in  N.  England 
Baptist   Missionary    Society 

in  England. 
British  and    Foreign  Bible 

Society. 
American  Board  for  Foreign 

Missions. 


GOVEENORS   AND    JUGDES   OF   THE    ISRAELITES. 


Moses, 

Joshua, 

Othniel,     . 

Ehud, 

Deborah  and  Barak, 

Gideon, 

Abimelech,    . 

Tola, 


B.C. 

1491  I  Jair, 
1451  I  Jephthah, 
1405  I  Ibzan, 
1325  1  Edon,     . 
1285  I  Abdon, 
1245  I  Samson, 
1236  I  Eli, 
3232  j  Samuel, 


JB.  C. 

1179 

.    1139 

1133 

1126 

.    1116 

1170 

1181 

.     1141 


420 


APPENDIX. 


CHRONOLOaXCAZ.  KS6AZ.  TASZiES. 


KINGS  OF  THE  JEWS. 


KINGS  OF  ISRAEL, 

TEN    TRIBES. 


B.a 

B.C. 

). 

Saul,        -         -        -       1095 

1. 

Jeroboam  I.        -        -     975 

2. 

David  and  Ishbosheth,    1055 

2. 

Nadab,     -        -        .        954 

3. 

David  alone,     -               1047 

3. 

Baasha,       -         -        -    953 

4. 

Solomon,         -         -         1015 

4. 

Elah,        -        -        -        930 

5. 

Divisionof  the  kingdom,  975 

5. 

Zimri,          -        -        -    929 

6. 

Omri,       .        -        -        929 

KINGS  OF  JUDAH. 

7. 

Ahab,           -         -         -     917 

TWO    TRIBES. 

8. 

Ahaziah,           -        -         897 

1. 

Rehoboam,        -        -       975 

9. 

Jehoram,    -        -        -     896 

2. 

Abijam,        -        -        -  958 

10. 

Jehu,       ...        884 

3. 

Asa,          -        -        -        955 

11. 

Jeoahaz,      -        -        -     856 

4. 

Jehosaphat,         -        -     914 

12. 

Joash,      -         -        -        841 

5. 

Jehoram,          -        -        889 

13. 

Jeroboam  II.       -        -     825 

6. 

Ahaziah,         -         -           885 

Interregnum  III  years,    784 

7. 

Atbaliah,     -         -         -     884 

14. 

Zachariah,        -        -        773 

8. 

Joash,      ...        878 

15. 

Shallum,      -        -        -     772 

9. 

Amaziab,     -        -        -     839 

16. 

Menabem,        -        -        772 

10. 

Azariah  or  Uzziab,      -    810 

17. 

Pekahiah,    -        -        -     761 

11. 

Jotham,    -         -        -         758 

18. 

Pekah,     ...        759 

12. 

Ahaz,           -        -        -     742 

19. 

Hoshea,   ...        730 

13. 

Hezekiah,        -        -        727 

Shalmaneser,king  of  As- 

14. 

Mannasseh,          -        -     698 

syria,      destroyed     the 

15. 

Amon,      -        -        -        643 

kingdom  of  Israel    -    721 

16. 

Josiah,         ...     640 

17. 

Jehoabaz,         -        -         610 

18. 

Jehoiakim,           -        -    610 

19. 

Jehoiachin,      -         -         599 

20. 

Zedekiab,             -         -     599 

21. 

Nebuchadnezzar  destroy- 
ed Jerusalem,      -      588 

Errata.     An  error  in  numbering  the  pages  at  p.   117,  cor 
rected,  will  bring  this  page  to  438. 


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